1

Meditations4

DhammaTalks

by

ThanissaroBhikkhu
(GeoffreyDeGraff)

forfreedistribution
2

CopyrightThanissaroBhikkhu2008

Thisbookmaybecopiedorreprintedforfreedistribution
withoutpermissionfromthepublisher.
Otherwiseallrightsreserved.

Contents

Introduction

TheBuddhasShoulds
OneThingClearThrough
BefriendingtheBreath
AMagicSetofTools
APrivateMatter
OnePoint,TwoPoints,ManyPoints
TheStairwayUp
Conceit
ASenseofAdventure
OnthePathoftheBreath
APostbytheOcean
TheBuddhaDidntPlayGotcha
SeeingwiththeBody
Oneness
WalkingMeditation:StillnessinMotion
TheSkillofRestraint
GuardianMeditations/
CleanlinessisNexttoMindfulness
ASenseofEntitlement
RightLivelihood
FactionsintheMind
AWarriorsStronghold
HowtoBeAlone
LovefortheDhamma
UniversalTruths
StupidaboutPleasure
TheTastevs.theReality
LevelsofAddiction
AntidotesforClinging
FearofDeath
TheRaftofConcepts
Kamma&Rebirth
TheHumanCondition
4
ThePathhasaGoal
NotWhatYouAre,WhatYouDo
TheRegularityoftheDhamma
ThePathofMistakes
ExperimentalIntelligence
ThreePerceptions
Disenchantment
Becoming
BeyondNature

Glossary

Introduction

ThedailyscheduleatMettaForestMonasteryincludesagroupinterviewin
thelateafternoonandachantingsessionfollowedbyagroupmeditationperiod
laterintheevening.TheDhammatalksincludedinthisvolumeweregiven
duringtheeveningmeditationsessions,andinmanycasescoveredissuesraised
attheinterviewseitherinthequestionsaskedorlurkingbehindthequestions.
Oftentheseissuestouchedonavarietyoftopicsonavarietyofdifferentlevelsin
thepractice.Thisexplainstherangeoftopicscoveredinindividualtalks.
Ihaveeditedthetalkswithaneyetomakingthemreadablewhileatthesame
timetryingtopreservesomeoftheavorofthespokenword.Inafewinstances
Ihaveaddedpassagesorrearrangedthetalkstomakethetreatmentofspecic
topicsmorecoherentandcomplete,butforthemostpartIhavekepttheediting
toaminimum.Dontexpectpolishedessays.
Thepeoplelisteningtothesetalkswerefamiliarwiththemeditation
instructionsincludedinMethod2inKeepingtheBreathinMindbyAjaanLee
Dhammadharo;andmyownessay,AGuidedMeditation.Ifyouarenot
familiarwiththeseinstructions,youmightwanttoreadthroughthembefore
readingthetalksinthisbook.Also,furtherDhammatalksareavailableat
www.watmetta.organdwww.dhammatalks.org.

***

Aswiththepreviousvolumesinthisseries,IwouldliketothankBokLim
Kimformakingtherecordingofthesetalkspossible.She,morethananyoneelse,
isresponsibleforovercomingmyinitialreluctancetohavethetalksrecorded.I
wouldalsoliketothankthefollowingpeoplefortranscribingthetalksand/or
helpingtoeditthetranscriptions:JohnBullitt,KathyForsythe,RogerFox,Gareth
FyshFoskett,RichardHeiman,LindaKnudsen,AddieOnsanit,NateOsgood,
XianQuanOsgood,MalcolmSchaeffer,WalterSchwidetzky,AtthauBhikkhu,
BalaggoBhikkhu,GunaddhoBhikkhu,KhemattoBhikkhu,andVijjakaro
Bhikkhu.Maytheyallbehappy.

ThanissaroBhikkhu

MettaForestMonastery
6
September,2008

TheBuddhasShoulds

January6,2008

Rightconcentrationformstheheartofthepath.Theotherfactorsofthepath
servetwofunctions.Oneistogetyouintoconcentration;theotheristomake
sureyoudontgetstuckthere.Inotherwords,concentrationonitsownisastate
ofbecomingthatsusefulonthepath.Eventhoughyoueventuallywanttogo
beyondallstatesofbecoming,ifyoudontfirstmasterthisstateofbecoming
youllbewanderingaroundinotherstatesofbecomingwhereitwouldbehard
toseewhatsgoingoninthemind.AstheBuddhasaid,whenyourmindis
concentratedyoucanseethefournobletruthsastheyactuallycometobe.When
itsnotconcentrated,youcantseethesethingsclearly.Nonconcentration,he
says,isamiserablepath,leadingnowhereusefulatall.
Soconcentrationistheessentialfactor.Onlywhenthemindisstableandstill
canitreallyseewhatsgoingoninside.Togetintorightconcentration,youneed
theotherpathfactors:rightviewallthewayupthroughrightmindfulness.Right
viewstartswithconvictionintheprincipleofkamma,thattherearegoodand
badactionsthatgivegoodandbadresultsnotonlyinthislifetimebutalsoin
futurelifetimesandthattherearepeoplewhoreallyknowthesethingsfrom
directexperience.Itsnotjustatheory.
WhatsinterestinghereisthatwhentheBuddhapresentsthisintroductionto
histeachingonkamma,hefocusesontwotypesofgoodactionstostresstheir
importance:gratitudetoyourparentsandgenerosity.Thesethingsreallydo
havemerit;theyreallydohavevalue.Thefactthatyourparentsgavebirthto
youwasnotjustasetofimpersonalprocessesthatjusthappenedtohappen.Its
notthecasethatyoudontoweanydebtofgratitudetoyourparentsforhaving
gonethroughallthepainofgivingbirthtoyouandthenraisingyouonceyou
wereborn.Therereallyisapersonaldebtthere.Theymadechoices,sometimes
difficultchoices,thatallowedforyoursurvival.Generosityisoneoftheways
youpayoffthatdebt,anditsalsooneofthevaluablewaysyouinteractwell
withotherbeings,benefitingboththemandyourselfintheprocess.
TheBuddhasattitudetowardsgenerosityisinstructive.Hesveryclearon
thefactthatwhenhestellingyouwhatyoushoulddo,theshouldisbasedon
acondition.Afterall,theBuddhadidntcreateyou.Youmightresisthisshoulds
withthethought,Whoishetotellmewhattodo?
8
YearsbackIwassittinginonacourseontheMettaSutta.Thefirstlineinthe
MettaSuttastarts:Thisiswhatshouldbedonebyonewhoaimsatastateof
peace.Astheteacherstartedoutwiththatline,ahandimmediatelyshotup.A
mansittingintheclasssaid,IthoughtBuddhismdidnthaveanyshoulds.
Andtheyspenttherestofthemorninggoingbackandforthoverthatoneissue.
Actually,Buddhismdoeshavealotofshoulds.YoulookattheDhammapada
andyoullseethatitsfullofshoulds.Buteachshouldisbasedonacondition,as
inthefirstlineoftheMettaSutta:Thisiswhatshouldbedonebyonewhoaims
atastateofpeace.TheBuddhadoesnttellyouthatyouhavetoaimatastateof
peace,orthatyouhavetowanttruehappiness.Thatsyourchoice.Butifthatis
whatyouwant,thisiswhatyouvegottodo.Thenatureofcauseandeffectis
suchthatthesearethepracticesyouhavetofollow.TheBuddhaisntsaying,
Well,thisiswhatworkedformeanditmayworkforyou,butImnotsure,so
youhavetofindyourownway.Thatsnotwhathewouldsay.Hedsay,This
iswhatworksifyoureaimingatthisgoal.Anditsuptoyoutodecidewhether
youwanttoaimatthatgoal.Ifyoudo,thenyouvegottodoitthisway.
TheresapassagewhereKingPasenadicomestovisittheBuddha,andhis
firstquestionis,Whereshouldagiftbegiven?TheBuddharesponds,
Whereveryoufeelinspired.Inotherwords,therearenoshouldsinthisarea
asidefromyourownsenseofinspirationwhereyoufeelthegiftwouldbewell
usedorwhereyoujustwanttogive.Therearenorestraintsplacedontheactof
generosityatall.ButthentheKingfollowsupwithanotherquestion:Where,
whenagiftisgiven,doesitbeargreatfruit?AndtheBuddhasays,Thatsa
differentquestion.Thisiswheretheprincipleofcauseandeffectkicksin,
placingitsimperatives.Youhavetogivetosomeonewhosemindispureortoan
institutionwherethepeoplearebeingtrainedtomaketheirmindspurei.e.,the
Sanghaifyouwantyourgifttobeargreatfruit.
SothereareshouldsintheBuddhasteachings,buttheyrebasedonthe
principleofwhatactuallyworksforthepurposeoftruehappiness.Asforwhat
youwanttodowithyourlife,theresnoimpositionthereatall.Itsyourchoice.
Butonceyouappreciatetheprincipleofgenerosityandseethatitisreally
worthwhile,youvemadethechoicetogetstartedonthepath.AstheBuddha
said,itsimpossibleforsomeonewhoisstingytoattainjhana,toattainanyofthe
nobleattainments.
Soyoustartwiththeprinciplethatgenerosityisgoodandthatyouractions
matter.Whenyoudigalittlebitdeeperintotheprincipleofaction,yourealize
thatyourintentionsarewhatmatterinyouractions.Thisinsightleadstothe
nextstepinthepath:rightresolve.Youwanttoavoidintentionsthatwould
makeitdifficulttogetthemindintoconcentration,soyouwanttolearnhowto
gobeyondbeingresolvedonsensualpassion,beingresolvedonillwill,being
9
resolvedonharmfulnessbecauseallthesethingsstirupthemindandinterfere
withitssettlingdown.
TheresapassageintheCanonwherePrinceJayasena,walkingforexercise
throughaforestoneday,comesacrossanovicestayinginalittlewildernesshut.
Hesaystothenovice,Ihearthatwhenthemonksreallyapplythemselves,they
cangettheirmindsintoastateofonepointedness.Isthattrue?Andthenovice
says,Yes.Andtheprincesays,Well,explainittome.Andthenovice,who
probablyknewtheprincesreputation,says,Youwouldntunderstand.The
princeresponds,Well,Ijustmight.Sothenovicereplies,Inthatcase,Ill
explainittoyou,butifyoudontunderstand,dontharassmewithmore
questions,okay?Sotheprinceagrees.Butwhenthenoviceexplainsittohim,
theprincesays,Thatsimpossible.Nobodycangettheirmindsconcentrated
likethat.Hegetsupandleaves.ThenovicethengoestoseetheBuddhaand
tellshimwhathappened.AndtheBuddhasays,Whatdidyouexpect?That
personisimmersedinsensualpassion,onfirewithsensualfever,beingchewed
upbyhissensualthoughts:Howwouldheunderstandanythinglikethis
somethingthathastobeattainedthroughrenunciation?
ThisiswhytheBuddhahasyouputsensualpassionaside,foritpreventsthe
mindfromgettingconcentrated.Itpreventsyoufromevenconceivingofthe
possibilityofgettingconcentrated.Similarlywithillwillandharmfulness:Ifyou
holdillwillforsomebody,ifyouwanttobeharmfultothatperson,thenassoon
asthemindsettlesdowntobequietinthepresentmoment,thosethoughtsare
suretoflareup.Theyobsessyou.SotheBuddhahasyouresolvetoputthem
aside.
Whenyouwanttoactonthoserightresolves,thisiswhererightaction,right
speech,andrightlivelihoodcomein.SomepeoplefindtheBuddhasprecepts
toohardtofollow;otherpeoplesaytheyrenotinclusiveenough.Theoneswho
saythattheyrenotinclusiveenoughinsistthatwehavetobemoreresponsible.
Iftheresapreceptagainstkilling,youshouldntbeabletoeatmeat.Iftheresa
preceptagainststealing,youshouldntabusetheearthsresources.Theymake
thepreceptsbiggerandbiggerandbiggerallthetimetothepointwherethey
becomeimpossible,toobigtobefullyputintopractice.Orinsomecasesitis
possibletopracticethemfully,buttheBuddhasaiditwasntnecessarytogothat
far.Wereworkingonthepreceptsthathelpthemindgetconcentrated,whichis
whytheygoonlyasfarastheydo.Inotherwords,youdontwanttoactonan
unskillfulintentionandyoudontwanttotellotherpeopletoactonthose
intentions.Butasfarasbreachesofthepreceptswhereyoudontknowwhats
happeningoritsnotintentional,thosedontcount.Afterall,theintentionisthe
importantpartofconcentration,andyouwanttotrainthemindtomasterits
10
intentionsinareaswhereyouhavesomecontroloveryourlifeandoveryour
actions.
Onceyouvecreatedthiscontextforthepractice,youreinabetterpositionto
followthepartsofthepaththatdealdirectlywithrightconcentration.
Firsttheresrighteffort,whichmeansgeneratingthedesiretogetridof
unskillfulqualitiesofthemindi.e.,thethingsthatgetinthewayof
concentration,likethehindrancesandthentogiverisetoskillfulqualities,like
thefactorsforAwakening.Thisisanareawheredesireisausefulpartofthe
path.Itgivesyoutheenergyyouneedtoworkonthemindandtorealizethat
youvegottomakechoices.Thereareskillfulandunskillfulthingsarisinginthe
mind,butrightviewintermsoftheprincipleofkammaremindsyouthatthe
unskillfuloneswillleadtobadresults,andtheskillfulonestogoodresults.So
youcantjustsittheretotallypassiveasyouwatchthemariseandpassaway,
becausethatdoesntleadtoconcentration.Youvegottofosterthegoodqualities
andabandontheunskillfulones.
Inthenextstepofthepath,theBuddhasurroundsrighteffortwithright
mindfulnesssurroundingitinthesensethatyouaddtwoadditional
qualitiestorighteffort.Asthetextsays,youbringthreequalitiestobearonyour
contemplation:Youwanttobeardent,alert,andmindful.Theardencythereis
righteffort.Themindfulnessmeansthatyoukeepyourframeofreferencein
mindaswhenwerekeepingthebreathinmindrightnow.Thealertness
meansseeingwhatshappeninginthepresentmoment,seeingifyoureallyare
withthebreath,ifthemindissettlingdownwellwiththebreath,andcatchingit
whenyouveforgotten.Youretryingtoestablishaframeofreferencehere
becausethesefourframesofreferencethebodyinandofitself,feelingsinand
ofthemselves,themindinandofitself,andmentalqualitiesinandof
themselvesarethethemesortopicsofrightconcentration.Mindfulness
practiceandconcentrationpracticegohandinhandontheBuddhaspath.Then,
asyouretryingtogetthemindtosettledownwithitsframeofreference,you
havetostartevaluatingittoseewhatworksandwhatdoesntwork.Asyour
frameofreferencegetsmoreandmoresolid,youactuallymoveintothefactors
ofjhana.
Sothatswhatyoushoulddotogetintojhanaifyouwantit.Again,the
Buddhadoesntsayyouhavetodoit,butifyouwantit,thisiswhatyoushould
do.
Jhanaonitsowndoesntleadtotheendofsuffering.Therearealotof
passagesdescribingpeoplewhoattaindifferentlevelsofjhanaandareableto
maintainthem,butiftheydontgobeyondthat,theyendupgettingrebornin
thevariousBrahmaworldsaftertheydie.Thenwhentheyfallfromthere,who
knowswheretheyregoingtoland?Onesuttashowspeoplefallingfromthe
11
Brahmaworldsanddoingreallystupidthings.Theyvebeensoblissedoutforso
longthattheyveforgottenthattheiractionscancarryconsequences,sotheyact
inwantonandcarelessways.
Thisiswhy,oncethemindisfirmlyinjhana,youvegottostartapplying
rightviewagain.Onlythistimeitsrightviewintermsofthefournobletruths:
lookingforthestressinyouractivitiesandseeingwhereitscomingfrominyour
mind.Inotherwords,youlookatmentaleventsandmentalstatessimplyin
termsofcauseandeffect,whatsskillfulandwhatsunskillful.Thosearethe
basiccategoriesunderlyingthefournobletruths.
Soasweremeditatinghere,remindyourselfthattheconcentrationiswhat
wereafter,whatwerefocusingondoingrighthere.Everythingelseonthepath
isaimedeitheratgettingushereorelseatmakingsurethatonceweareherewe
makethebestuseoftheopportunityreallytoseethingsastheyhappen.In
particular,wewanttoseethisissueofhowthemindiscreatingallthis
unnecessarystressallthetimeandwhatcanbedonetostopit.Ofcourse,ifyou
onlywanttofollowpartofthepath,thatsuptoyou.Remember,theBuddha
neverforcedustodoanything.Butifyouwantthebestresults,thisiswhat
youvegottodo.
12

OneThingClearThrough

June26,2006

Arecurrentthemeintheteachingsoftheforestajaansisthatallthestepsof
thepracticeareofapiece.Inotherwords,havingattainedAwakening,they
dontsayanythingdisparagingabouttheearlystepsinthepractice,thattheyre
onlyelementaryandthatyouhavetodropthemtomoveontothemore
importantstuff.AsLuangPuDuneputit,TheDhammaisonethingclear
through.OrasAjaanMahaBoowaoncesaid,oneoftherealizationsthatcomes
whenyouhitAwakeningisthateverythingisthesameteaching,startingfrom
generosityandgratitude,allthewayupthroughAwakening.Therearedifferent
levelsofsubtlety,butitsallthesameprinciple.
Andyoucouldseethisfactintheirlives.EvenhavingattainedAwakening,
theydidntjustsitaroundandsay,nowthattheirownjobwasdone,theydidnt
havetodoanythingfurther.Theywereveryindustriouspeople.AjaanFuang,
evenwhenhewassick,wouldgetouteveryeveninganddosomechorearound
themonastery.Whenweweredoingconstructionwork,hewasntuptodoing
anyoftheheavyjobsbutattheveryleasthewouldgooutandpickupthe
thrownawaynails.Hewasveryfrugal,verymeticulous.
Soitsimportanttokeepthisprincipleinmind:thatthepracticehereisa
practiceofgenerosity,ofgratitude,ofgoodwillandkindness,alltheway
through.LookattheBuddhasteachingsonthefournobletruths.Whatarethey
motivatedbyifnotgoodwill?Thedesireforanendofsuffering,thedesirefor
happinessthatdoesntplaceanyburdensonanyoneelse:Whatisthisifnot
compassion?
Andlookathisteachingcareer.Wherevertherewasanyonereadytolearn
theDhamma,hewouldgothere.Inthosedays,thatmeantgoingonfoot.He
traveledallovernorthernIndiaonfootjusttoteach.Eventheverylastdayofhis
life,heknewtherewasonemorepersonhehadtoteachbeforeheenteredtotal
nibbana.So,eventhoughhewassufferingfromdysentery,hewalkedallthe
waytoKusinaraafulldayswalkbecausetherewasonemoreperson,
Subhadda,hehadtoteach.
Whatthismeansinourpracticeisthatweshouldvaluealllevelsofthe
practice.Itsnotthatyouputintimewiththeelementarylevelsandthendrop
themasyoumoveontothehigherones.Yousimplyaddmoreandmorelevels
13
ofsubtletytoyourpractice,moreandmorelevelsofgenerosity,goodwill,and
gratitude.TheBuddhastartedhisteachingwithverybasicmundanerightview:
theteachingonkamma.Andheintroducedkammawithtwoteachings:oneon
gratitude,oneongenerosity.
Hestartedoutbysayingthatgenerosityisreal.Thegiftsyougiveactually
benefityouandtheotherperson.Thisissomethingofrealvalue.Andyoucan
thinkofthewholepracticeallthewaythroughtheabandoningofgreed,anger,
anddelusionasanactofgenerosity,anactofgoodwill.Thelessgreed,anger,
anddelusionyouhave,thebetteroffnotonlyyouare,butalsoeverybodyelse.
Thinkofallthesufferingyouveinflictednotonlyonyourselfbutalsoonother
peoplethroughyouranger,yourgreed,yourdelusion.Yougivethesethingsup
notonlyforyourownbenefitbutforthebenefitofthepeoplearoundyouas
well.
Thentherestheteachingongratitude.TheBuddhafocusedonthegratitude
weoweourparentsthatthegoodtheyvedoneforusissomethingofvalue.
Wereallyareintheirdebt.Allthatyourmotherwentthroughjusttogivebirth
toyou:Thinkaboutthat.InThailanditstraditionalfortheretobeachantonthis
topicbeforeanordination.Theyhiresomebodytocomein,andhechantsfora
couplehoursaboutallthehardshipsyourparentswentthroughtoraiseyou,asa
wayofremindingyouofyourdebttothem.InThailand,theresaverystrong
sensethatyouordainasanactofgratitudetoyourparents.Youdedicatethe
merittothem.Sorightbeforetheordinationtheyremindyouofexactlyhowbig
thatdebtis.Ifthechantlastsforfourhours,threeandahalfofthehoursare
aboutthepainsyourmotherwentthroughbeingpregnantwithyou.Youre
fortunateshedidntabortyoushecouldhavedonethat.Yourefortunateyour
parentsdidntabandonyouafteryouwereborntheycouldhavedonethatas
well.Theywenttoallthattroubletoraiseyou,toteachyouhowtospeak,how
tosit,howtowalk.Theresahugedebtofgratitudeyouowethem.
AstheBuddhasaid,gratitudeisasignofagoodperson.Ifyoudont
appreciatethegoodthatotherpeoplehavedoneforyou,itsveryunlikelythat
youregoingtodogoodforanybodyatall.AjaanFuang,ifhenoticedthat
peopledidnthavegratitudefortheirparents,didntwanttoassociatewith
them.Ifpeoplecantappreciatetheirparents,whataretheygoingtoappreciate?
Gratitudeisessentialtoeveryformofgoodness.
Anditcarriesyouallthewaythrough.Thisiswhyweregenerous;thisis
whywepracticetheprecepts,whywereharmless.Wemeditatetotrainthe
mindsothatitsharmless.Notonlyharmless,butalsomoreenergetic.Ifyoure
notweighingyourselfdownwithgreed,anger,anddelusion,youhavealot
moreenergytohelpotherpeople.Andeventhoughtheresthatpopular
conceptionofTheravadaasaselfishpath,assomeonewhohadstudied
14
BuddhismbothinJapanandinThailandoncesaid,youwontfindthatThai
peopleareanymoreselfishthanJapanesepeople.Infact,itcanoftenbetheother
wayaround.
TheexampleoftheBuddhainthePaliCanonisnotaselfishexample.
SariputtaandMoggallanawereextremelyhelpfulnotonlyinteachingother
monksbutalsointeachinglaypeople.AndlookatalltherulesintheVinayafor
themonkstolookafterthemonastery.Basically,themonasteryispure
generosity.Ifyouweretoopenyoureyesrightnowandlookaround,everything
youdseewouldbesomebodysgift.Andasforthemonks,thelongeryouliveas
amonk,themoreandmoretheverybonesofyourbodyaretheresultsof
somebodysgenerosity.Theysaythataftersevenyearsallthecellsinyourbody
havebeenchanged,soonceamonkhashitsevenyears,hiswholebodyis
somebodyelsesgift.Soyouvegottouseitwisely,generously,inthesamespirit
withwhichitwasgiventoyou.Andasforthemonasteryaroundyou,youre
trainedtolookaftertheplace.TheBuddhaencouragedthemonkstobeclean,to
becarefulinthewaytheyusethings,toputalotofenergyintolookingafterthe
resultsofotherpeoplesgenerosity.
Intheforesttradition,theresaverystrongtraditionofkeepingalivethe
protocolsthattheBuddhagivesintheKhandhakas.TheresaVinayatextbook
thatthemonksinThailandaresupposedtostudy,writtenbyacitymonkbackat
thebeginningofthetwentiethcentury,andhecutbackonalotoftheserules.
Thistextbookwasneverpopularwiththeforesttradition.Theypreferredan
olderbookthatwentintoalotofdetail,particularlyonthe14protocols,mostof
whichdealwithlookingafterthemonastery:whenyoucometoamonastery,
howyouresupposedtosetthingsinorder;whenyouleave,howyoure
supposedtoleaveitingoodshape;andwhileyourethere,howyoukeepit
clean.Alotofenergyshouldgointokeepingthemonasteryingoodshape
becausealotofenergywentintogivingthemonasteryinthefirstplace.
SotheBuddhaneverdiscouragedpeoplefrombeinggenerous.Henever
discouragedpeoplefrombeingenergetic.AjaanSuwatlikedtomakethispoint
againandagain:TheresnoplacewheretheBuddhaencourageslaziness.Even
thoughheteachescontentment,itscontentmentwiththematerialthingsyou
alreadyhave,sothatyoucandevoteyourselftobuildingonthat,andespecially
sothatyoucandevoteyourselftothetrainingofthemind.Butcontentment
doesntmeanthatifyoufindtheplacedirtyyouleaveitdirty.Contentment
meansthatifyoujusthavealittleshack,yourecontentwithyourshack,butyou
makeitacleanshack.Youkeepitspicandspan,ingoodrepair.Utthanasampada
isthewordinPali.Itmeansthatyoutakeinitiative,youreenergetic.
Andthistranslatesintoyourmeditation.Thesortofpersonwhosenergetic
inkeepingtheplacecleantendstobemoreenergeticinmeditating.Oncewhen
15
IdjustarrivedinBangkokonsomevisabusiness,Iwasinthemidstofcleaning
myroom,sweepingit,wipingitdown.AWesternmonkwhodjustreturned
fromBurmaknewthatImightbethere,sohecamearoundandsureenoughI
hadjustcomein.Butassoonashesawmewipingdownthefloor,hesaid,You
Thaimonks!Allyoudoisspendyourtimecleaningup.OverinBurma,wehave
otherpeoplewhodothatforus.Andasyoulookedatthequalityofhis
meditation,youcouldseethathewasusedtohavingotherpeopledoingthings
forhim.Hismeditationhadgottenslackandsloppyaswell.
Thisisastrongtraditionintheforesttradition,startingfromthetimeof
AjaanMun.Hewasverydiligentinkeepinghisplaceclean.Hisplaceinthe
forestwasntjustsomehovel.Everythingwasneatlyswept,everythinginits
properplace.AsAjaanFuangsaid,eventheragsforwipingfeetatthebaseof
thestairstohislittlehut:Iftheyweretorn,hewouldsewthem;iftheywere
dirty,hewouldwashthem.Andthisqualityofbeingenergeticandmeticulous
translatedintohismeditationaswell.
Sodontthinkthattheelementarypracticesarejustforpeopleonan
elementarylevel.Theyreforeverybody.Thatshoweverybodygetsstartedand
everybodykeepsgoing.Youbuildonthem.Youdontabandonthem.Youbuild
onthem.Youincludemoreandmoresubtlelevels.Butthebasiclevelsstaythere
aswell,until,asthetextssay,generosityisnolongersomethingyoudoforyour
ownsakeorforthesakeofotherpeople.Itbecomesjustanaturalexpressionof
themind.Allthestepsofthepracticebecomeanaturalexpressionofthemind
onceitsfullytrained.
16

BefriendingtheBreath

January3,2007

Reflectbackonthepassagewechantedjustnow:MayIbehappy.Mayall
livingbeingsbehappy.Mayallbeingsbefreedfromtheirsuffering.Maythose
whoarehappynotbedeprivedoftheirhappiness.Thesearegoodthoughtsto
think.Theyputthemindinagoodplace,aplacewhereyourenotwishingillto
anyoneatall.Yourewishingthemwell.Andyourewishingwellforyourself,
too.Sometimespeoplefindthathard,butifyoucantwishforyourowntrue
happiness,whatareyouwishingfor?
Thedesirefortruehappinessisnothingtofeelashamedabout.Infact,the
wholeteachingoftheDhammaisbasedonthatdesire,recognizingthatifyou
followthroughwithyourdesirefortruehappinessintelligently,ifyoureallyare
carefulabouthowyougoaboutfindingit,youllactuallyfinditandwontharm
anyoneintheprocess.Itsadesirethatshouldberespected.
Theworld,however,teachesusnottorespectit.Peoplewilltellyou,Forget
abouttruelastinghappiness;justgoforthethrillofpurchase,thethrillofa
relationshipinthebeginningstages.Goforthequickandeasy,butalsothequick
tofade.Asfortruehappiness,forgetaboutit.Thatswhattheysay.
ButthemessageoftheDhammaisthatifyoudontwishfortruehappiness,
whatareyouwishingfor?ThisistheoneassumptionthattheBuddhamakes
abouthumanbeings.SometimesyoureadthattheBuddhaassumesthat
everybodyisbasicallygoodatheart,butyoucantfindthatinthetexts.Whathe
doesassumeisthateveryonewantshappiness.Theproblemisthatwegoabout
itinconfusedandmisinformedways.Butifwecanfindapathtotruehappiness
thatreallyworks,everyonewouldbehappybecausetruehappinessissomething
thatdoesntharmanyoneatall.Yourtruehappinessdoesntconflictwith
anyoneelsestruehappiness.Keepthatinmind.Thisiswhywechantthis
passageeveryday.
TheysaythatAjaanMunspreadthoughtsofgoodwilltoalllivingbeings
threetimesaday:inthemorningwhenhewokeup,intheafternoonwhenhe
wokeupfromhisnap,andatnightbeforehewenttosleep.Inthisway,the
desireforgoodwill,thedesirefortruehappiness,framedhispractice.Soits
goodtoestablishitasaframeforyourpracticeaswell.Ithelpsremindyouof
whyyourehere.Therewillbebarrenpatchesinyourmeditation,patcheswhere
17
thingsdontseemtobegoingthewayyouwantthemto.Whenyouhitthese
patches,rememberthatyouredoingthisfortruehappiness,somethingthatgoes
beyondtheordinaryquickfix.Thathelpsgetyouovertheroughspots.
Soalwayskeepthesethoughtsinmind.Rememberthatgoodwilland
compassionarequalitiesyoucantseparatefromtheBuddhasteachingson
wisdomanddiscernment.Youhavetounderstandhowtogoabouttrue
happinessifyourdesireforhappinessisactuallygoingtogetresults.
Whatthiscomesdowntoistrainingthemind.AlltheBuddhasteachings
ongenerosity,virtue,andmeditation,oronvirtue,concentration,and
discernmentareaimedattrainingthemindbecausethemindiswhatshapes
ourexperienceofpleasureandpain,happinessandsuffering.Awelltrained
mindcandealwithanysituationinlifeandnothavetosufferatall.
Whatdoesitmeantotrainthemind?Itmeanstolookatwhatyouredoing
andtoseewhattheresultsare.Thenyoulearntorefrainfromthingsthatcause
suffering,nomatterhowmuchyoulikedoingthem,andtodothethingsthat
leadtotruehappiness,whetheryoulikedoingthemornot.Someofthethings
thatleadtotruehappinessarereallypleasanttodo.Othersrequireeffort.They
goagainstthegrain.Youhavetolearnnottoletyourresistancetotheeffortget
intheway.Youneedaclearsenseofcauseandeffect.Thatswhatdiscernmentis
allabout:seeingwhatreallyworksintermsofcauseandeffect,whatdoesnt
reallywork,andthenadjustingyouractionsaccordingly.
Wereheretotrainthemindtobeitsownbestfriend.Oneveryvisceralway
ofdoingthisistofocusonyourbreath.WhentheBuddhaanalyzesthewayyou
causeyourselfsuffering,veryearlyoninthelisthesaysthatifyoureignorantof
whatsreallygoingtowork,theneventhewayyoubreathecanleadtosuffering.
Soletsfocusonthewaywebreathe.Wheredoyousensethebreathright
now?Whenyoucloseyoureyes,whatsensationsletyouknowthatnowthe
breathiscomingin,nowthebreathisgoingout?Focusonthem.Theycanbein
anypartofthebodyatall,forbreathheremeanstheflowofenergy.
Sometimesyoullsensethebreathasthefeelingoftheairmovinginandoutof
thenose,butitcanalsobetheriseandfalloftheabdomen,theriseandfallofthe
chest.Sometimesthosemovementssendripplesouttodifferentpartsofthe
body,sothatyoucansenseeveninyourarmsoryourlegswhetheryoure
breathinginorbreathingout.Sowhereveryoufinditconvenienttofocus,focus
onthebreathsensationsthere.
Thenallowthemtobecomfortable.Inotherwords,dontputtoomuch
pressureonthemasyoufocusonthem.Atthesametime,noticehowlonganin
breathfeelsgood.Atwhatpointdoestheinbreathstartfeelinguncomfortable?
Justbreatheinaslongasiscomfortable,andthenallowyourselftobreatheout.
18
Breatheoutonlyaslongasiscomfortable,andthenbreathebackinagain.Tryto
sensitizeyourselftowhatfeelsgoodrightnowintermsofthebreathing.
Thinkofthewholebodybreathingin,thewholebodybreathingout,with
everycellinyourbodybathedwithbreathenergy.Whenyouthinkofthebreath
inthatway,whatkindofbreathingfeelsgood?Youmightfind,asyoustart
thinkinginthatway,thatthebreathgetsdeeper.Ifthatfeelsgratifying,fine.Ifit
feelsuncomfortable,changetherhythm.Justthink,Whatwouldbemore
comfortablerightnow?andseewhatthebodydoesinresponse.Thinkof
yourselfashoveringaroundthebreath.Yourenotsqueezingitout;yourenot
forcingitin;yourejuststayingveryclosetoit,watchingit,lettingitadjustin
whateverwayfeelsgood.Giveitsomespacetoadjust.Sometimesyoumight
wanttonudgeitalittlebitandseewhatlongerbreathingwouldfeellike,or
whatshorterbreathingwouldfeellike,faster,slower,deeper,moreshallow,and
thennoticewhathappens.
Atfirstyoumaynotsensemuchdifference,butafterawhileyoubegintoget
moresensitivetothebreathingprocess.Youbecomemoreofaconnoisseurof
yourownbreathing.Yougainasenseofwhatkindofbreathingreallyfeelsgood
forthebodyrightnow.Themoresatisfyingthebreathis,theeasieryouwillfind
ittostaywiththebreathing.Ifthemindwandersoff,justbringitrightbackto
thebreath.Ifitwandersoffagain,bringitbackagain.Askyourself,Isthe
breathascomfortableasitcouldbe?andseewhatyouneedtochange.But
dontbrowbeatyourselfoverthefactthatthemindiswandering.Dontgetupset
ordiscouraged.Itsnaturalthatitllwander,forthatswhatitsbeendoingforso
long.
Youveprobablyheardthewordsamsara.Itmeanswanderingaround.Thats
whatthemindisusedtodoing.Itsusedtowandering.Whenyoutrytogetitto
stayinoneplacelikethis,itsgoingtoresist.Itsliketrainingapuppy.Youwant
ittocome,anditseemstowanttodoeverythingelsebutcome.Butifyourefirm
withit,atthesametimerewardingitwhenitdoescome,afterawhileitllcome
willingly.Sohavesomeconfidenceinyourself.Remindyourselfthatthisisa
reallyusefulskilltohave,becausewecauseourselvessomuchunnecessary
stressandstrainsimplybecausewebreatheinunskillfulandobliviousways.If
youcanmasterjustthisoneskill,youchangethewayyourelatetoyourbody,
youchangethewayyourelatetothepresentmoment,youhaveagreaterreserve
ofwellbeingtodrawoninanysituation.Iftheythrewyouinprison,youcould
justsitthereandbreathereallycomfortably.Theywouldnthavetoknow.Soin
thatway,yourenotaddingsufferingtothepainalreadythere.
So,youhaveanhourtogetacquaintedwiththebreath,totrytoseewhat
kindofbreathingfeelsgoodrightnow,andthenrightnow,rightnow.Theneeds
ofthebodywillchangeovertime,soyouhavetobeontopofthem.Noticehow
19
theychange.Makeitagame.Dontbetoogrimaboutthemeditation.Afterall,
wereheretryingtofindpleasureinthebreath.Sotreatitasasport,something
youwanttolearnhowtoenjoy.Aswithanysport,ittakestime,ittakestraining,
ittakesdiscipline.Buttheresalsotheelementofenjoymentthatcomeswhen
youredoingitwell.Itfeelsgood.Itfeelsright.
Afterall,thebreathistheprocessinthebodythatyouexperiencemost
directly.Yousenseyourbodythroughthemovementofthebreath.Ifthebreath
werenotmoving,ofcourseyoudbedead.Butifyoucouldsomehowbealive
whilethebreathwasnotmoving,eventhenyouwouldntsensethebodyatall.
Infact,therearestagesofconcentrationwherethebreathenergystops.The
oxygencominginthroughtheporesoftheskinisenoughtokeepyougoing
becausethebrainisverystillandisntusingmuchoxygenatthattime.When
thathappens,youfindthattheshapeofthebodybeginstodissolve.Thebreath
isthatessentialtohowyouknowyourbody.
Inaddition,thebreathisalsoinstrumentalinhowyoumoveyourbody,by
meansofthebreathenergyrunningthroughthenervesandalongtheblood
vessels.Sohereyouaresensitizingyourselftoyourmostdirectexperienceofthe
body,andyourelearningtorelatetothebodyinawaythatscomfortable.
Atthesametime,youfindthatthebreathisamirrorforthemind.Asudden
emotioncomesintothemind,andthebreathwillchange.Thatsoneofthe
reasonswesometimesfeelthatwevegottogetourangeroutofoursystem:The
waythebreathhaschangedinresponsetotheangerisuncomfortable.Soyou
canundothateffect.Assoonasyousenseachangeinthebreath,youcan
consciouslybreatheinawaythatdissolvesawaywhatevertensionhasbuiltup
inthebreathing.Thatweakensthepoweroftheanger.Thisisanotherwaythe
breathcanbeyourfriend.Itslikehavingafriendwhoremindsyouwhenyou
getangrythatitsnotinyourbestinteresttobeangry.Itcansootheyouwhen
youreangry,putyouinabettermood.Itcanbeyourfriendwhenyouresick;it
canbeyourfriendwhenyouresufferingfromfearoranyotherstrong,
unpleasantemotion.
Thebreathcanbethereasyourfriend,butonlyifyoulearnhowtobefriend
it.Gettoknowit.Aswithanyfriendship,ittakestime.Youcantjustwalkin
andshakehandsandsayHi,youremybreath,Iminchargeofyou,letsgo.
Thebreathdoesntrespondwelltothat,justasapersonwouldntrespondwell
tosomestrangercomingupandsayingthat.Afterall,youvebeenastrangerto
yourbreathforwhoknowshowlong.Ithasbeenthereforyou,butyouhavent
beenthereforit.Youhaventpaiditmuchattention.Youdontreallyknowit
well.Soheresyouropportunitytogetongoodtermswiththebreath.Whenyou
haveyourbreathasyourfriend,youhaveafriendwhereveryougo,inany
situation.
20
AstheBuddhasaid,toreallygettoknowsomeonerequires(1)timeand(2)
beingveryobservant.So.Hereyouvegotawholehouroftime.Itsuptoyouto
beobservantandtoseehowwellyoucangettoknowthebreath.Toshowsome
goodwillforthebreathinaverydirectandvisceralwaylikethisistoshow
goodwillforyourself,thewishthatsexpressedinthatchant:MayIbehappy.
Heresonewaytoactonit.Atthesametime,youcausenoharmtoanyoneelse.
Thewayyoubreathedoesntdirectlyaffectanyoneelseatall.Indirectly,ifyou
breatheinunskillfulwaysanduncomfortableways,youregoingtogetirritable
andtakeitoutonotherpeople.Butifyourebreathingcomfortably,theresno
irritationtotakeoutonanybodyatall.Inthisway,thefactthatyoureworking
withyourbreathisawayofshowinggoodwillforotherpeopletoo.
Sotrytomakethemostofthisopportunity.

21

AMagicSetofTools

August10,2004

Asyouresittinghere,therearealotofthingsyoucouldfocusoninthe
presentmoment.Youcouldfocusonthesoundofthecrickets.Youcouldfocus
onthesoundofthebombingpracticeofftothewest,thetemperatureoftheair
allkindsofthings.Thequestionis:Whichthingareyougoingtofocusonthats
goingtodeliverthebestresultsforthemind?
Thisiswherethebreathcomesin.Itssomethingthatshereallthetime
comingin,goingout,stayingstillgivingusoursenseofthebody.Itsaplace
wherewecansettledown,somethingwecanstayintouchwithatalltimesif
weremindful.
Itsimportanttounderstandwhatmindfulnessis:Itstheactofkeeping
somethinginmind.Thewordsatiisrelatedtotheverbsarati,whichmeansto
remember.Youfocusyourattentionononeparticularthingandthenkeep
remindingyourselftostaythere.Thisishowconcentrationisdeveloped.But
concentrationisnotjustaquestionofmemory.Tobeapartofthepath,ithasto
bealertaswell.Werenottryingtoputourselvesintoatrance.Wesimplywant
tostayfocusedonanaspectofthepresentmomentthatsgoingtobehelpful.
Mindfulnessiswhatremindsustostayatthatpresentsensationorpresent
occurrence;alertnessiswhatallowsustoseewhatsgoingon.
Thethirdqualityweaddispersistenceorardency.Keepwithit.Nomatter
howloudthebombsorincessantthecrickets,yourenotgoingtosendyour
attentionafterthem.Youknowtheyrethere.Yourenotgoingtodenythat
theyrethere,buttheyresimplynotplacesyouwanttogo.Youregoingtokeep
tabsonthisonething:thebreathcomingin,goingout.Ifyoupreferameditation
word,youcanstaywithbuddho.Ifyouwant,youcanfocusonthepartsofthe
body,likethebones,skin,yourliveranythingthatkeepsyougroundedherein
thepresentmomentinawaythathelpsmindfulnessandalertnesstogrow,to
develop.
Yourabilitytostickwiththesequalitiesiswhatsgoingtohelpthemgrow.
Whenyounoticeyourselfwanderingoff,ardencymeansthatyoubringthemind
rightback.Ifitwandersoffagain,bringitbackagain.Youdontgiveup.You
dontgetdiscouraged.Whileyourewiththebreath,ardencymeansthatyoutry
tobeassensitiveaspossibletothesensationofthebreathing.Themore
22
consistentyoursensitivity,themorerefinedthesenseofcomfortyoullderive
fromthebreathing.AsAjaanLeesays,whenyouremindfulandalertlikethis,
mindfulnessandalertnesschangeintothefactorsofjhana,orsteadyabsorption.
Weoftenhearthatmindfulnesspracticeandconcentrationpracticearetwo
differentthings,buttheBuddhanevertaughtthemthatway.Hesaidthatright
mindfulnessleadsnaturallytorightconcentration.Inallofthedescriptionsof
thepathsuchasthenobleeightfoldpath,thefivefaculties,thesevenfactorsfor
awakeningrightmindfulnessalwaysprecedesrightconcentration.Sodont
thinkofthemasseparatepractices;thinkofthemasqualitiesofthemindthat
helpeachotheralong.Mindfulnessturnsintodirectedthoughtasitshadesinto
thesteadinessofconcentration.Onceconcentrationgetsmoresolid,your
mindfulnessgetsalotsteadier.Whenyoureachthefourthjhana,theBuddha
says,thatswheremindfulnessbecomespure.
Thewordjhanaisrelatedtoaverbjhayati,whichisahomonymforaverbto
burntoburninasteadyway,liketheflameofthiscandleatthefrontofthe
room.Palihasdifferentverbsforthewordtoburn.Therestheburningofan
ordinaryfirethatflickersandflares,butthentheresjhayati,whichdescribesthe
burningofanoillampsteady,sosteadyyoucanreadbyit.Andthatsthe
wholepurposeofgettingthemindtostaysteadilyhereinthepresentmoment:
sothatyoucanreadwhatsgoingoninthemind.
Inthebeginning,thesteadinessrequiressomeprotection,justlikethecandle
here.Ifthewindoutsidestartedtoflareupmorethanitisrightnow,wedhave
toputaglassglobearoundthecandletokeeptheflamesteady.Thatglassglobe
isdirectedthoughtandevaluation.Keepremindingyourselftocomebackstay
withthebreath,staywiththebreath,staywiththebreathconsistently.And
thenevaluation,whichgrowsoutofalertness,looksatthebreath:Isthisa
comfortableplacetostay?Whatdoyouneedtoadjust?Doyouneedtomovethe
focusofyourattention?Doyouneedtoadjustthebreath?Doyouneedtoadjust
someoftheconceptsinyourmindaboutwhatyouredoing?Ifthebreathistoo
subtletofollow,canyoustaysimplywiththesenseofthebodysittinghere?
Therearelotsofthingstoevaluate.
Thisiswheretheelementofdiscernmentorinsightcomesintothepractice.
Again,weoftenhearthatjhanapracticeisatranquilitypracticeandinsight
practiceissomethingelse,butagain,theBuddhadidntdividethingsupthat
way.Hesaidthatyouneedtranquilityandinsightinordertogetthemindto
becomesteadylikethis.Theinsightliesinunderstandingwhatproblemsyou
havetofaceandhowyoucangetaroundthem;thetranquilityliesintheelement
ofsteadily,calmlywatchingthings.
Soyouusedirectedthoughtandevaluationtoprotectwhatyouvegot.Asa
senseofeaseandfullnessdevelopsinthepresentmoment,youvegottoprotect
23
itevenmore.Stickwithit,workatwhateveryouneedtodotomaintainthat
senseofwellbeinglearningwhenyouretryingtoohardtomakeitbetter,
learningwhenyourenottryinghardenoughtonoticewhatcanbedonetorelax
thingsevenfurther,makethemevenmoregratifyingandpleasurable.Thatsall
afunctionofinsight:watchingthings,evaluatingthings,figuringoutwhich
causestochangetomaketheeffectsjustright.
Thisistheelementofinsight,theelementofdiscernmentthatwereworking
onwhilewereonthepath.Wedevelopitinsimplepracticeslikethis:learning
whatsjustrightintermsofthebreath.Thatsthemiddlenessofourmiddleway
rightnow.Thewordmiddlenessalsoappliestotheappropriatenessofwhatwere
doing.Sometimeswehavetobeveryprotectiveofwhatweredoingwhenthere
arelotsofexternaldistractions,orwhentheminditselfseemstobe
rambunctiousandhardtocontrol.Wehavetomakeanextraeffortduringtimes
likethat.Atothertimes,theeffortdoesnthavetobequitesostrong:Allyou
needtodoisjustwatch,keeptabsonthings,andtheyseemtobehaveontheir
own.Ifyoumesswiththemtoomuch,theyregoingtorebel,soyouhavetobe
verysensitivetowhatsneeded,whatsgoingon.Thisispartofthemiddleness
ofthemiddleway:theappropriatenessofwhatyouredoing.Asyoudevelop
thissenseofappropriateness,thissenseofjustright,youredeveloping
discernmentinthemidstofconcentrationpractice.TheBuddhasaidtheresno
discernmentwithoutjhana,nojhanawithoutdiscernment.Thetwoqualities
helpeachotheralong.
Soifyoufindyourselfslippingoffthebreath,slippingoffthetopicofyour
meditation,rememberthesethings.Whenthingsgetbalanced,youdonthaveto
thinkaboutthemthatmuch.Onceyoudevelopasenseofbalance,youjust
maintainthatbalanceinyourpractice.Itllbesubverbal.
Itslikesailingaboat.Whenyougetontheboatforyourfirstsailinglessons
andyouretoldtosteertheboattotheleft,sometimesyouflipitoverbecause
yousteertoohard.Oryouretoldtosteertotheright,andagainyouflipitover
intheotherdirectionbecauseyouresteeringtoohard.Butafterawhileyou
begintogetasenseofexactlyhowmuchpressureyouhavetoapplytothe
rudder,andyougetsothatyouhardlyeventhinkaboutit.Itbecomesan
intuitivesense.Yourealerttoityouhavetobealertbutyoudonthaveto
verbalizeit.Thisiswhatwereworkingtowardinthepractice:gainingthat
intuitivesenseofwhatsjustrightforrightnowwhenyouhavetoapplyalittle
bitmorepressure,whenyouhavetoholdbackalittlebitsothatyoudont
needalltheseconcepts.
Asthemeditationgetsmoreandmoreintuitive,asthemindgetsmoreand
morefirmlysettledrighthere,youcanactuallydropthedirectedthoughtand
evaluationandjustplowrightintothesensationofthebreathorwhateveryour
24
objectis.Whenyougetthere,youbegintowonder,Whydidyoueverthink
youhadtodoanythingmoreinthemeditationthanjustberighthere?Thats
whatitseemslikefromthatperspective.Sowatchoutthatyoudontget
complacent,becauseyoucanlosethis.Itssimplyamatterofhavingthat
intuitivesenseofwhereyourspotisandhowtostaythere.Thisishowto
developafoundationforthemind:Youusemindfulnessandalertness,youuse
yourdiscernmenttogetthemindconcentrated,andthenonceitsconcentrated
youusethatconcentrationtodiscernthingsevenmoreclearly.Allthefactorsof
thepathhelponeanother,andtheyallcometogether.Theresaunitytothe
path.Eventhoughithaseightfolds,itsonepieceofpaper.
Soifthesethoughtsarehelpfulwhenyoufindyourselfdriftingofforlosing
balance,keeptheminmind.Therewillcomeapointwhereyoudonthaveto
consciouslyrememberthem.Allyoullhavetodoisbeverywatchful,veryalert,
makingsureyourenotcomplacent,andyoucandroptheconcepts.Dropping
themdoesntmeanyoullforgetthem.Theyllbetheretopickupagainwhen
youneedthem,butyoudonthavetocarrythemaroundallthetime.Theyre
likeamagicsetoftools:Theyfloatrightwithinreach.Youdonthavetocarry
them.Orlikeyourshadow:Itgoeseverywhereyougo,butyoudonthaveto
carryitwithyou.Itplacesnoweightonyouatall.
25

APrivateMatter

July15,2007

Ionceheardofatennisprowhosegamehadgoneintoaslump.Hetried
everythinghecouldimaginetogethisgameback:firedhistrainer,gotanother
trainer,trieddifferentrackets.Thenonedayherealizedhedforgottenthe
numberonelessonintennis:Keepyoureyeontheball.
Thesamesortofthingoftenhappensinmeditation.Youstartoutwithavery
simpleprocessandthenitgraduallygrowsmorecomplicated.Afterawhileyou
forgetthefirstprinciples:i.e.,staywithyourbreath.Sotrytospendthewhole
hourstayingwiththebreath,nomatterwhat.Bereallysensitivetohowthe
breathfeels,andtowhatyouredoingtothebreath.Thebreathisafabrication,
whichmeansthattheresanintentionalelementinthewayyoubreathe.You
wanttobeverysensitivetothat,towhatyoureaddingtothebreathingprocess.
Trytodoitskillfully.Aslongasyouregoingtoaddanintentionalelement,add
somethinggood.
Yourrelationtothebreathissomethingveryintimate,veryprivate.Oftenits
hardtotalkabouthowthebreathfeels,becausethebreathfeelslikethebreath
feels.Itdoesntquitefeellikeanythingelse.Sowetalkaboutitindirectly,in
termsofmetaphorsandsimiles,realizingthatourdescriptionsareapproximate.
Whenyouhearsomethingintheinstructions,learntotranslateitinsuchaway
thatitrelatestowhatshappeninginyourdirectexperience.Andkeepyour
innerexperienceprimary.
Forexample,Ivenoticedthatoneofthebestwaysofgettingthebreath
energyinthebodytobecomfortableandfullisnottoputanyeffortintotheout
breathatall.Whatefforttheremaybegoesintotheinbreath.Asforbreathing
out,youdontneedtohelpthebody.Itsgoingtobreatheoutonitsown.When
youdontforceitout,thatallowsthebreathenergytofillupinthebody.Thisis
hardtoputpreciselyintowords.Itsnotlikeyouretryingtostuffthebreathin,
butbecauseyoudontsqueezeitout,theneachtimeyoubreathein,breathein,
breathein,andallowthesenseoffullnesstorunalongyournerves,thenerves
begintoglow.Again,thisdoesntfiteasilyintowords,foritsnotavisibleglow.
Buttheresafeelingofglowlikeenergyfillingthenerves,radiatingoutfrom
them,radiatingoutofthebloodvessels.Youtrytobreatheinsuchawaythat
maintainsthatsenseofradiance.Thebodythenfeelsalotmorecomfortable,the
26
bloodcanflowfreelythroughallthedifferentpartsofthebody.Itfeelsreally
good.
Sotrytorelatethattowhatyouredoingrightnowandseeifyougetresults.
Ifyoudont,tryexperimentingalittlebitonyourowntoseewhichwayof
breathingreallydoesfeelgoodinthebody.Whenyoudothis,itsetsuptheissue
ofpleasureandpain,causeandeffect,rightfromthestart.
ThatswhattheBuddhasteachingsareallabout:Whydowesufferfrom
pain?Howcanweusethepleasureofaconcentratedmindtoleadustoeven
greatereaseandwellbeing?Oftenitsbestnottoanalyzetheissuetoomuchin
advance.Youcanreadthebooksonjhanaorvipassana,andthentrytoimpose
thewordsonyourexperience.Andofcourseyourunderstandingofthewords
comesfromwhere?Itcomesfromignorance.Sothattakesyouawayfromyour
directexperience,awayfromthisveryprivatematterofwhythemindiscausing
itselfsuffering,howyourintentionsarecausingsuffering.
Soinstead,trytoapproachthemeditationfromastandpointthatsmore
familiar:Howdoyoufeelrightnow?Whichwaysofthinkingaboutthebreath,
whichwaysoflettingthebodybreathe,leadtopainandasenseofconstriction?
Whichonesleadtoagreatersenseofopennessandease?Startfromyour
immediateexperienceandbranchoutfromthere.
ThatsthewayAjaanFuangusedtoteachmeditation.Hedhavepeopleget
intouchwiththeirbreath.Heduseafewanalogiesandsimiles,andthenhed
listentothewordstheyusedtodescribetheirownexperienceofmeditation,
whenthebreathfeltsticky,whenitfeltsolidordense,whenitfeltfull.
Andthenhedusetheirvocabularytoteachthemfurther.Forinstance,oneofhis
studentswouldtalkaboutthedeliciousbreath,soAjaanFuangwouldstarthis
instructionstothatstudentbysaying,Getintouchwiththedeliciousbreath.
Inthisway,themeditationisnotsomethingimposedfromoutside.Its
somethingthatdevelopsfromyourowninnersensitivity.Thensomewhatafter
thefact,afteryouvehadsomedirectexperiencewithit,youcanreadthebooks
andbegintorelatetheirtermstowhatyouveexperienced.Eventhen,though,
itsalwaysbesttotakethosetermsandusethemaspostitnotes,forasyou
developyourinnerexperiencefurther,yourunderstandingoftheinnerterrainis
goingtochange.Youmayhavetomovesomeofthosenotesaround.
Thisisamuchmoretrustworthywayofapproachingthemeditationthan
tryingtofitthemindintoamoldbasedonyourunderstandingofwhat
somebodyelsehaswrittenorsaid.Ifyoudothat,ittakesyouawayfromyour
directexperience,fromyourownsensitivity.Andtheresalwaysthatelementof
doubt:Doesthisreallyqualifyaswhattheyretalkingabout?Whereasifyou
approachitfromtheotherdirectionIfIdoitthisway,howdoesitfeel?
youknowbetterthananybodyelsehowitfeels.
27
Now,yoursensitivitymaynotberefinedenoughtoseesubtlelevelsofstress,
buttheresnowayyouregoingtoseethosesubtlelevelsuntilyoudealwiththe
blatantonesfirst.Anditsanaturalmatterthatovertime,asyougetmore
familiarwiththebreath,morefamiliarwiththewaythebodyfeelsfromthe
inside,yourpowersofsensitivityaregoingtodevelop.Youpickupthingsthat
youdidntnoticebefore,bothinthebreathandinthewaythemindrelatestothe
breath.Thiswayyoukeepthemeditationverydirect.Itsyourownprivate
matter.
AjaanFuangoncesaidthathedidntwanthisstudentsdiscussingtheir
meditationwithanybodyelseasidefromhim.Whenyoutalktootherpeople,
theyhavetheirideas,theyhavetheirpreconceivednotions.Maybetheyknow
somethingaboutmeditation,maybetheyreverywise,butthatinitselfisa
questionablething.Youdontknowhowexperiencedtheyare,howmuchthey
reallyknow.Secondly,youmaystarttakingtheirwordsandtryingtofitthemon
yourownexperience.Ifyoudonthaveenoughinnerexperience,itsveryeasyto
getmessedup.Evenwhentheysimplyaskyouaquestion,thewaytheyframe
thequestionalreadyembodiesacertainviewpoint.Andthatviewpointmaybe
questionable.
Sokeepyourmeditationaprivateaffair.Afterall,thesufferingyoure
causingyourselfisaprivateaffair,somethingnobodyelsecansee.Evenwhen
welivetogetherdayinanddayout,eachofusismakingalotofdecisionsthat
nobodyelseherewillknow.Wemayseesomeoftheoutsideeffects,butthe
actualexperienceofsufferingyoursuffering,yourpain:Youretheonlyperson
whocanfeelit.Andyouretheonlypersonwhocanknowwhichlittledecisions
youmakefrommomenttomomenttomoment.Thatswhatyouwanttolearn
howtoobserve.
Sotrytodevelopyourinnersensitivityasmuchasyoucan,sothatyoucan
makesureyourdecisionsaregoingintherightdirection.Theintentional
elementhereistotrytominimizesufferingasmuchaspossible.
Thisiswhybreathmeditationrelatesdirectlytothesublimeattitudeswe
chanteveryevening.Thisisyourfrontrowseatonthequestionofhowtobring
aboutmorehappiness.Mayalllivingbeingsbehappy:Alllivingbeingsare
outthere,butyoureoneofthem,too,inhere.Thisisthebeingyouhavethemost
directimpacton.Soifyoulearnhowtobekindtoyourselfinthewayyou
breathe,itsgoingtobeeasiertobekindtootherpeople.Ifyouseethattheres
somestressandsufferinginside,havesomecompassionforyourself.Tryto
breatheinaway,trytorelatetothebreathinaway,thatminimizesthatstress.
Whenyoulearncompassionforyourselfinsidelikethis,itsaloteasiertofeel
compassionforothersoutside.
28
Thesamewithempatheticjoyandequanimity:Whenthebreathisgoingwell,
appreciateit.Enjoyit.Asfortheuncomfortablethingsinthebreaththatyou
cantchange,youvejustgottowatchthemforawhile.Thewordfor
equanimityupekkhaactuallyrelatestothatqualityofjustwatching,looking
on.Inotherwords,youseethatthismaynotyetbethetimetodoanything,but
youneverknowwhenthesituationwillchange,soyoujustkeepwatching,
watching,watching,untilyoudetectthings.Andevenherethebreathhelpsalot.
Itgivesyouafoundationfromwhichtowatch.
Asyourestayingwiththebreath,youreinthepresentmoment.Simply
beingwiththesensationofbreathinghelpspullyououtofalotofyourthoughts,
thatongoingcommitteediscussioninthemind.Ifyourewiththebreath,youre
likeanoutsideobserveronthecommitteemeeting.Yourenotnecessarily
pushedaroundbythevoicesinthecommittee.Inthatway,youreinabetter
positiontosee,Isthisthetimetoexercisegoodwill?Orisitmorethetimeto
exerciseequanimity,compassion,orempatheticjoy?
Sothesetwotypesofmeditationthemeditationthatdevelopsthesublime
attitudesandthemeditationonthebreathreallycometogetherlikethis.The
breathgivesyoupracticeintheproperattitudesandputsyouinaposition
whereyoucanseewhichofthesefourattitudesisappropriateatanyonetime,
alwaystakingyourinnerexperienceofstresssomethingyouremostintimately
relatedtoasyourtouchstone.Thatway,yourknowledgeisnotjustwords.
Theresadirectexperienceunderlyingitall.Asyourskillisbeingdeveloped,
youregrowingmoresensitivetowhatthatexperienceis,andmorehonestwith
yourselfaboutwhereyourestillcausingyourselfstress.
Yourexperienceofstressisyouronlyproofofwhetherthemeditationis
working,andeventhenitsreliableonlyifyourehonestwithyourself.Youmay
wanttolookforanoutsideauthoritytoverifythingsforyou,butthatleadsto
thequestionofwhooutthereisawakened,whoisnot.Youmayhavesome
ideas,youmayhavesomeintuitions,butyoucantreallyproveanythingabout
whatsgoingonoutside.Youronlyrealproofiswhatliesinside.Anduntilyou
maketheinnerproofasclearandashonestaspossible,youllhavenoproof
aboutanythingatall.
Sothisinnersensitivity,somethingtotallyprivatetoyou,iswhatyoure
tryingtodevelophere.Thatswhereyoustart;thatswhathelpskeepyouonthe
path.
Andofcourse,thissensitivitydoesntnecessarilyhavetobehereonlywhile
youresittingandmeditating.Trytokeepintouchthroughoutthedaywithyour
innerexperienceofwhatyouredoingandwhatstressisorisnotarisingasa
resultofwhatyouredoing,thelittlechoicesyoumakeinside.Trytocarrythat
awarenessaroundasmuchasyoucan,inallyouractivities.Makethatyourfirst
29
priority.Whenyouact,actfromthatpoint.Whenyouspeak,speakfromthat
point.Whenyouthink,thinkfromthatpoint.
Inthatwaythemeditationbecomestimeless.AjaanFuangoncemadethe
commentthatourlivesareoftenchoppedupintolittletimes:timetoeat,timeto
talk,timetogohere,gothere,dothis,dothat.Insteadofhavingmoretimewhen
lifehasmoretimeslikethis,everythinggetschoppedupintolittletinypieces
andbecomesless.Butwhenyoumakethisinnersensitivityascontinuousas
possibleyoubreathein,letthebodybreatheoutifitwantsto,butyoudont
havetoforcethebreathout;breatheinagain,breatheinagainthatinnersense
ofwellbeingcangrow.Thenasyoucarryitthroughtheday,itbecomessolid.It
maytaketimetofocusonit,timetogetasenseofwhathelpsit,whatdoesnt
helpit.Butthesenseofinnerrefreshmentthatcomes:Youwantthattobeas
continuousaspossible.Themorecontinuousitis,themorestrengthitdevelops.
Themoreresilientitbecomes,themoreyoucanrelyonit,eveninverydifficult
situations.Thisinvolvesunlearningsomeoldhabits.Societyoftenteachesusto
giveallourattentiontothingsoutside.Whathappensofcourseisthatwelose
touchwithourowninnersensitivity.Webecomestrangerstoourselves.
Soreintroduceyourselftothisinnersensitivity.Openupthisareaofyour
awareness,andbeassensitivetoitaspossible.Inthatwaythemeditationwill
growinanorganicwaynotfromwordsimposedoutside,orideasimposed
fromhowyouunderstandthewordsoutside,butfromadirectexperienceof
whatsactuallygoingoninside.Whatworksandwhatdoesntwork,whats
skillful,whatsnot,wheretheresstress,wherethereisnostress:Thesearethe
questionsthatonlyyoucanobserveandonlyyoucanknow.Andtheycanbe
answeredonlybyaveryhonestsensitivitythatsalwayswillingtolearnmore.
30

OnePoint,TwoPoints,ManyPoints

August18,2007

AjaanLeesometimestalksaboutnotbeingawareofthebreathinthewhole
body.Hesometimesrecommendsfocusingononespotandjuststayingright
there.Somepeople,hesays,findittoodistractingtodealwiththebreath
sensationsinthedifferentpartsofthebody.Asyourethinkingaboutyourhand,
yourarm,oryourleg,otherthoughtsrelatedtohands,arms,andlegsmight
sneakinandcarryyouoffsomeplaceelse.
Hecomparesthistostartinganorchard.Ifyouplantyourwholeorchardall
atonce,usingallyourresources,youmayfindthatyouveoverextended
yourself.Yourefacedwithadroughtforseveraldays,thetreesalldie,andyou
endupwithnothing.Incaseslikethat,itssmartertostartoutwithonelittlearea
andtofocusonplantingjustthat,caringforthat.Sayyouplantamangotree.
Youcareforitforacoupleyears,andthenwhentheygivetheirfirstcropof
mangoes,youcollecttheseedsandplantthem.Thesamewiththesecondcrop.
Thatwayyougraduallyenlargeyourorcharduntilyoufillyourwholeplotof
land.
Soifyoufindthatfocusingonthebreathhereandthereinthebeginningof
themeditationgetsyoudistracted,justfocusdownononespotandstayright
there.Tellyourself:Yourenotgoinganywhereelse.Youmaywanttousethe
wordbuddhotohelpkeepthingsundercontrol.Butjustuseonespotinthebody:
Itmightberightbetweenyoureyes,themiddleoftheforehead,whereveryou
feelisclosesttothecenterofyourawarenessinthebody.Youstarerightdown,
rightthere.
Theonewarningisthatyounottightenuparoundthatspot.Thinkofthe
areaasbeingopenandfreeflowing.Inotherwords,thebloodcanflowin,the
bloodcanflowout.Energyflowsin,energyflowsout,butyouarenotmoving.
Youregoingtostayrighthere.Nomatterwhathappens,youregoingtostay
rightinthisonelittlespot.Thatcangatherthemindtogetherandkeepitthere.
Yourenottryingtotakecareoftoomanythingsatonce.
Otherpeoplefindthatonespotisnotenough.Inthatcase,youmightwantto
trytwospots.TherewasanoldschoolteacherIknewwhohadcometo
meditationlateinlife.Aftersheretired,shewenttostayatWatAsokaram.She
foundthattheeasiestwaytogetherminddownshetoldmeonce,wellbeforeI
31
wasordainedwastofocusontwospots:onerightbetweentheeyes,theother
atthebaseofthespine.Shedtrytokeepbothspotsgoingatonce.Inhercase,
shesaid,itwaslikeconnectingthetwopolesofabattery.Assoonasthetwo
poleswereconnected,thingslitupinside.Thatenabledhertogetthemindinto
concentrationreallyquickly.
Whatallthisshowsisthatconcentrationisanindividualmatter.Different
peoplefindthattheirmindssettledownindifferentways.Andtheresroomin
thepracticeofconcentrationforyoutoexperimentandseewhatworksforyou.
Theresnooneidealmethodthatsgoingtosuiteverybody,andthewhole
purposeoftheconcentrationisforthemindtosettledownwithsomethingit
likes,somethingitfindsinteresting.
Theiddhipada,orbasesforsuccess,basicallysaythatconcentrationwill
succeedbystressingoneoffourdifferentqualities.Forsomepeople,itsfiredby
desire.Forothers,persistence,theenergyofsticktoitividness.Otherpeople
findthatconcentrationworksbestwhenitsbasedonthequalityofintent,when
youdiveinandgiveityourentireattention.Otherpeoplefindthatanalysis
works.Itsbyanalyzingthebreath,bymakingitinterestingandfindingthatit
reallyisinteresting,thewaythebreathenergyflowsinthebody,howitcanbe
verydifferentfromwhatyoumightexpect,byplayingwithit,byexperimenting
withitthatyoufindyourselfabsorbedinthepresent.Notbecauseyoure
forcingyourselftobethere,butsimplybecauseyougetinterested,justasyou
cangetabsorbed,say,inpaintingapicture.
AsachildIusedtofindthatdrawingwouldhavemeabsorbedforhours.Id
beworkingonadrawingandIdhavenosenseofthepassageoftime.Itdbe
timefordinnerbeforeIknewit.Andthesamecanworkinyourmeditationas
youlearntoanalyzethebreath.Youpullyourselfintothepresentmomentnot
withanyforce,butsimplythroughthepowerofyourcuriosity.
Somepeople,though,findthatanalyzingthingslikethisgetsthemdistracted:
Youstartthinkingaboutthebreath,andthenyoustartthinkingaboutyour
stomach,andthenaboutthedoctorwholookedafteryourstomach,andallofa
suddenyoufindyourselfthirtymilesaway.Inthatcaseyourmeditationmay
succeedbasedeitheronthedesiretostayhere,ortheefforttostayfocusedon
justonespot,orbeingintentononespot,orontwospots,whateveryoufind
works.
Sotheresroomforexperimentation;theresroomforyoutolearnwhat
worksforyou.Keepthisinmindasyoupractice.Sometimesyouvegottouse
youringenuity.AsAjaanFuangoncenoted,alltheelementsinreallywell
balancedconcentrationarethereinthesevenstepsinAjaanLeesinstructions.
Theproblemissimplythatdifferentpeoplewillfinddifferentstepstobethe
32
onesthatreallypullthemin.Oncetheyvebeenpulledinbyoneofthesteps,
theyvegottobalanceouttheotherones.
AjaanLeetalksaboutfindingyouronespotinthebodyandstayingfocused
there,butsomepeoplemissthisstepbecauseitcomesafterthestepsthattellyou
toexplorethebreaththroughoutthebody.Butthestepsdonthavetobedonein
sequentialorder.Thinkofthemasdifferentcomponentfactorsofconcentration.
Youmayhavetostartoutwithjusttheonespot.Oncethatsestablished,youcan
developtheothercomponents.Inotherwords,youstayfocusedinyouronespot
andthenseehowitsrelatedtothearearightaroundit.Thenradiatingoutfrom
there,youlookattheareasrightaroundthat,untilyouvegotthewholebodyin
yourframeofawareness,eventhoughyourestillreallystaringdownontheone
spot.Youcanthelpbutbeawareofthebody.Inotherwords,youdonttotally
blankouttherestofthebody.Afterall,thepurposeofconcentrationistobe
awareallaroundasabasisfordiscernment.Discernmentcanariseonlywhen
youreawareallaround.Ifyourconcentrationisthesortthatblocksthingsout,
itsnotgoingtobeagoodbasisfordiscernment.Youwontseeunexpected
connections.Youllhavehugeblindspotsinyourrangeofawarenesswhereall
kindsofthingscanhide.
Soonewaytostartistogorightforonespotandthengraduallyexpandfrom
there.Butifyoufindthattooconfining,ifthemindrebelsagainstbeingforced
intoonespot,youcanhaveitrangearoundyourbody.Noticehowthebreath
feelsinthetoes,howitfeelsinthefingers,howitfeelsinthearmsandtheback,
howyourpostureeffectsthebreath,howyourbreatheffectstheposture.Inother
words,usethemeditationasanopportunitytoexplore.
Thisisoneofthegoodthingsaboutthebreathasafocalpointformeditation.
Youcanuseitbothasanobjecttostareatandasanobjecttoanalyze.Ifyoufind
thatthemindneedsmoretranquilitybeforeitsgoingtogetanywhere,okay,you
canjustsettledownandbevery,verystill.Itsalmostlikeyourenoteven
watchingthebreath.Youremorefocusedonthedirectioninwhichyour
awarenessisbeamed.Yourepreoccupiedwithjustkeepingthebeamsteady.
Theonedangeryouhavetowatchoutforthere,ofcourse,isthatyoumight
clampdownonthebloodcirculationinthatspot.Sowatchoutforthat.Allow
thingstocomeinandgoout,butyoustayatthatonespotasconsistentlyas
possible.
Butasfortheconnectionsyoucanseewhenyouusethebreathasanobject
fordiscernment,theyreinfinite.Weweretalkingearlierthismorningabout
nameandformandhowtheyplayaroleinthearisingofsuffering.Well,they
alsoplayaroleinthepathleadingtotheendofsuffering.Youvegotform,
whichistheformofthebody,thefourgreatelements,andthebreathisthemost
prominentelement.Youvegotperception:whateverperceptionsyouhaveofthe
33
breath,whateverwaysyouhaveofconceivingthebreath.Thatsaneffectiveway
ofgettingthemindtosettledown:simplybyholdingthatperceptioninmind.
Youpayattention,whichisanotherelementofform.Youvegottheintentionto
stay.Andthenyouvegotthefeelingthatariseswhenyoutrytocreateafeeling
ofease.Inotherwords,insteadofallowingthesethingstohappenwillynilly,
youtrytobringasmuchawarenessandclaritytohowtheyfunctioninbringing
themindtostillness.
Sotheseelementswhichiflefttotheirowndevicesbasedonignorance
wouldleadtosuffering:Yourenowplayingwiththem,allthewhilebeingvery
awareofhowtheyinteract.Thisisoneofthebestwaysoflearningtheir
interactions:byplayingwiththem.Youadjustyourattentionoryourintention
andseewhathappenstothefeeling.Youchangeyourperception,andseewhat
effectithasonthemind.
Whatweredoingistotakethebasiccausesofsufferingandtobringasmuch
awarenesstothemaspossiblespecificallyawarenessintheformofthefour
nobletruths:Whereistherestress,whatareyoudoingthatscausingstress,and
whatcanyouchangetomakethestressgoaway?Youstartwithblatantlevelsof
stressrelatedtohowyouresittingherebreathing,tryingtogetthemindtosettle
down.Andthenfromthere,yougrowsensitivetolevelsthataremoreandmore
subtle.
Yourehererightwherealltheactionis.Itssimplyamatterforyou
individuallytofigureoutexactlywhereyoucangetyourfirsthandleonthese
issues.Establishthatasyourbeachhead,andthenfromthereyour
understandingwillbegintospreadout.Therewillcometimesinthemeditation
whenyoubegintothinkthatjustbeingverystillrighthereiskindofstupid.
Nothingisgoingtohappen.Andyouwonderwhatelseistheretodonext.Well,
askyourself:Whosaysthatitsstupid?Whydoyouneedtopushthewhats
next?Thoseareperceptionsrightthere.Rightthereyouvegotsomeissuesyou
canworkthrough.
Everythingyouneedtoknowforthepurposeofputtinganendtosufferingis
righthere.Justbringalotofalertnesstoit.Alotofmindfulnesstoit.Andnotice
whatworksforyouingettingthemindtosettledown.Thatshowinsightarises,
byseeingwhatworks.ThatsthewaytheBuddhatestedallofhisinsights:Did
theywork?Inotherwords,hewaslookingforpragmatictruth,theknowledge
thatwouldmakeadifference.Asfortruthsthatwouldntmakeadifference,he
justputthemaside.Hewasverysinglemindedinhisquest.Whateverwas
necessaryforputtinganendtosuffering,hefocusedonthat.Whateverwasnt
necessary,hemightknowitbuthedidntletitclutteruphismind.
AshesaidindescribinghisAwakening,helearnedtheequivalentofthe
leavesoftheforest.Whathebroughtouttoteachintermsoffocusingonthe
34
issueofsuffering,itscause,itsend,andthepathtoitsend:Thatsjustlikea
handfulofleaves.Butitspreciselythehandfulyouneed.Ifyouweretomakea
comparisonwithmedicine,therecanbelotsofmedicineintheforest,butjust
thisonehandfuliswhatyouneedforyourspecificdisease.Asfortheother
leaves,iftheyrenothelpfulforyourdisease,whybotherwiththemrightnow?
Themindhasthisdiseaseofignorance,craving,greed,angeranddelusion.And
ifwedonttakecareofit,itsgoingtofester,goingtocausealotofsufferingfor
alongtimetocome.Sofocusontheleavesthatwillcureit.Asfortheother
leavesintheforest,youcanpayattentiontothemafteryouvegotthisspecific
diseasecured.
Soeverythingyouneedtoknowisrighthere.Itssimplyamatterofpaying
attention.Seewhichperceptionswork,whichperceptionsdontwork,which
waysofpayingattentionwork,andwhichonesdont,whichintentionswork,
andwhichdont.Justbyexploringtheseissues,youcanlearnanawfullotabout
themindandmakeabigchangeinthemindaswell.
35

TheStairwayUp

April28,2004

Once,soonafterIhadfirstmetAjaanFuang,Ihadadream.InthedreamI
wasvisitingAjaanLeesmonastery.Ihadneverbeenthere,butinthedream
theyhadabigmuseumseveralstorieshigh.Ihadthechoicetoclimbthe
stairwayortoclimbaladderuponthesideofthebuilding,goingstraighttothe
topfloor,andIchosetheladder.Iwantedtogostraightuptothetop.ButasI
wasclimbing,theladderfelldown.FortunatelyIwascaught.Theproblemwas
thattheladderwasntleaningagainstanythingsolid.AttheendofthedreamI
foundmyselfatthedooragain,havingtocontemplategoingupthestairway.
ThatswhenIwokeup.
Andthatsprettymuchastoryofhowmypracticestarted:Alotofthings
happenedveryquicklythosefirstcoupleofweekswithAjaanFuangbutthen
theyallunraveled,andIhadtostartbackatthebeginning,stepbystepbystep.
Thiscansometimesbediscouraging.Ithappenstoallmeditators.Sometimesby
flukewehappentohitsomethingveryadvancedoratleastitseemstobevery
advancedinthemeditationandthenitallunravelsrightbeforeoureyes.At
firstitcanbeencouraging,butultimatelyitturnsdiscouragingasweseethe
defilementswerestilllivingwithinourmindsthatthosequick,flashy
experiencesdidntactuallymakemuchofanimpact.
Thefollowupworkseemsalotlessglamorous,andalotofpeoplegiveup
rightthere.Butitsimportantthatyoudontgiveupandthatyoudontlook
downonthesituationwhereyouare.Dontgetdiscouraged,becausewherever
yougo,thosearetheissuesyouhavetodealwith,thatsthesituationyouhave
toaddress.Ifyoudontdealwithitnow,youhavetocomebacktothatsame
situationalloveragain,andsometimesitgetsworse.Sotheproperattitudeis
thatwhateverissuesariseinthemeditation,thosearetheonesyouhavetodeal
with.Dontcomparethemwithwhereyouvebeenbeforeinthemeditation,or
withtheissuesyoudliketobedealingwithnow,orwhereyouwantthe
meditationtogo.
Mostofuswouldliketobemagicallybeameduptoahigherlevelof
concentrationorahigherlevelofinsight.Butitsoftenthecasethatourrefusalto
lookatthesituationinourmindsrightnowiswhatspreventingconcentration
andinsightfromarising.Solookatwhatyouvegot.Lookatwhereyouare.
36
Dontpassjudgmentastowhethertheproblemyourefacingiselementaryor
advanced.Itstheproblemyourefacing.Itstheproblemthathastobedealt
with.Bringallyourpowersofattentiontobearrightthere.
Andbegladthatyouvegottheopportunitytopractice.Dontviewitas
drudgery.Alotofpeopleareinsituationswheretheyhavenoinclination,have
noideawhatthepracticeisabout.Ortheymayhaveanideaandtheinclination
buttheydonthavetheopportunity.Herewehavetheopportunity.Wevegot
theinclination.Wehavesomeideaofwhattheproblemisallabout.These
opportunitiesareraretofind.
Sotheteachingonacceptancemeansacceptingwhereyouare.Itdoesnt
meanthatyouacceptthatyouregoingtostaythereforever.Yousimplyaccept
thatthisisthesituationyourefacingrightnow.Whetheritssomethingyoulike
ornot,whetheryoufindyourselfattractedtoitornot,thatsnottheissue.The
issueis:Areyouwillingtoworkwithwhatyouvegot?
Thatwillingnessisanimportantelementinalllevelsofpractice.Itstartswith
ourwillingnesstohelpotherpeople,andgoesonwithourwillingnessto
practicetheprecepts.Thisvolunteerspiritisanimportantpartoftrainingthe
mind.Thatswhatitsallabout:realizingthatyouvegottoputenergyintoitif
youregoingtogetanythingoutofit.Whenyourewillingtotakethatfirststep,
makethatfirstgiftofyourenergy,thatswherethepracticestartstogrow.
Withoutthatattitude,itdoesntgoanywhere.Allwecanthinkofiswhatwed
liketogetoutofthemeditation,butbeforeyoucangetanythingyouhavetogive.
Asforgenerosity,sometimespeoplelookatwhattheyvegotandtheydlike
tobeabletogivemuchmore.Theydliketomakeamoreimpressiveoffering,
buttheirmeansarelimited.Sotheyhavetocontentthemselveswithgiving
limitedgiftstobeginwith,butthemomentumbuildsonthat.
Sometimesthelittlegiftsbringthegreatestreward.AjaanFuanglikedtotell
thestoryofamanandhiswifewhohadonlyoneupperclothbetweenthem.
Theyeachhadaclothtocoverthelowerpartsoftheirbodies,butonlyonecloth
betweenthemtocovertheupperpartsoftheirbodies.Thatwasbackinthedays
inIndiawhenyoudidntgooutofyourhouseunlessyouhadtwopiecesofcloth
aroundyou:onewrappedaroundyourwaist,theotheroveryourshoulders.
Becausetheyonlyhadoneupperclothbetweenthem,theydhavetoleavethe
houseatseparatetimes.Ifonewasgoingout,theotherhadtostayathome.They
werethatpoor.
OnenighttheyheardthattheBuddhawasgoingtobegivingatalk,sothey
agreedthatthehusbandshouldbetheonetogo.Thetalkwasbasicallyonthe
rewardsofgenerosity.Thehusbandkeptsittingtherethinking,ThisiswhyIm
sopoor.Ihaventbeengenerous.WhathaveIgottogive?Nothing.AllIhaveis
thisonecloth,andifIgivethisIwontbeabletogoanywhere.ButifIdontgive
37
this,whatcanIgive?Iwontbeabletogiveanythingatall.Sohebattledback
andforth,backandforth,backandforthinhismindforhours,andtheBuddha,
notingwhatwasgoingon,justkeptontalkingandtalkingongenerosity.Itwas
originallysupposedtobeashortDhammatalk,butitwentonandonandon
untilmidnight.Thekingwasintheaudience,lotsofpeoplewereinthe
audience,andtheywerewonderingwhytheDhammatalkwasgoingonforso
long.
Finallyaroundmidnightthemanstoodupshouting,Victory!Victory!He
hadovercomehisstinginess.HewasgoingtogivetheclothtotheBuddha,sohe
wentdownandgavethecloth.Peopleintheaudiencewonderedwhothiswas,
andwhyhewasshoutingVictory.Whentheylearnedofhispoverty,they
wereveryimpressed.Thekingsaid,Okay,Illgivehimanotherclothandother
thingsinadditionaclothandahorseandanelephant,allkindsofstuff.One
ofeach.
Andbecausethemanwasonaroll,agenerosityroll,hegaveallthosethings
totheBuddha,too.Sothekinguppedtheantegavehimtwoofeach.Theman
gaveallofthat.Thekingkeptdoubling:four,eight,finallysixteen.Atthatpoint
themandecidedtokeepeightofeachofthesethingseightpiecesofgold,eight
piecesofsilver,eightpiecesofcloth,eighthorses,eightelephants.Hegavethe
othereighttotheBuddhaandwenthomewithhisremainingeight.Thelessonof
thestoryisthatasmallgiftbyapersonoflittlemeanstranslatesintoalotmore
intermsofitsrewardsthanalargegiftfromsomeoneoflargemeans,because
thefirstgiftrequiresmoreofasacrifice.
Thesameprincipleappliesinthemeditation.Whenthingsarentgoingwell,
youhavetomakeasacrificeofyourpride,asacrificeofyourlikesanddislikes,
andgetdowntodealingwithwhatsactuallyhappeninginthemind.Onlywhen
youreabletomakethatsacrificecantherewardscome.Inthebeginningthey
maynotbeallthatimpressive.Youmaynotgetapieceofgold,apieceofsilver,
anelephantorwhatever,butyoudomakeastep,youseeaslightchangeinthe
mind.Thatsmuchbetterthanjustsittingaroundbeingdiscouraged.
Sowhatevertheissuesyourefacinginyourmeditation,becontenttodeal
withthem,becausethosearetherealissues,thegenuineissuesyouvegotto
face.Theymaynotstackupagainstthethingsyouvereadaboutorthethings
youveexperiencedinthepast,butalittlesolidprogressismuchmorevaluable
thanallthequickandflashyspecialeffectsoutthereintheworld.
AjaanFuangsometimeshadstudentswhowouldcometositandmeditate
withhimforthefirsttimeandgainvisionsoftheirpastlivesorofheavenly
beings.Someofhisolderstudentsfeltjealousanddiscouragedbythat.Here
theydbeensittingandmeditatingformonthswithnothingspecialhappening,
andthispersoncomesinandhasallkindsofinterestingthingsgoingonallat
38
once.Itoftenhappened,though,thatthequickandflashystudentsdidntlast
verylong.Whenthevisionsstopped,whentherewasnomoreentertainment,
theyleft.Itsthesteadyprogressthatmakesallthedifference,thatturnsoutto
bethewinnerintheend.
Sosacrificewhateverattitudesgetinthewayoflookingattheissuesstaring
yourightintheface,becausethosearethegenuinearticle.Theyrerighthere.
Theyrenotabstractions.WecansitaroundandthinkaboutDhamma
abstractionsfromdawntoduskanddusktodawn,buttheproblemsinthemind
arentcomposedofabstractions.Theyrenotcomposedofmemories.Theyre
composedofmovementsinthemindrightnow.Lookatwhatthemindisdoing,
howitmoves.Canyouchangethewayitmoves?
Youvegottopokearoundinwhatsactuallygoingoninyourmindtosee
whichpartsofthepresentaremadeofelasticandwhichpartsaremadeof
steelinotherwords,thethingsyoucanchangeandthethingsyoucant.There
willbedrudgeryandtherewillbemistakes,butthesearethethingsyoulearn
from.Thisisthekindofknowledgethatreallymakesadifferenceinthemind,
becausethisishowyoudevelopyoursensitivity,howyougetasenseofhowto
balanceexcessivedesirewithlackofdesire,howtobalanceexcessiveeffortwith
lackofeffort,andalltheotherbalancingactsthatneedtobedoneinthe
meditation.Youlearnfromfallingdownandpickingyourselfupagain.Andyou
dothisnotbythinkingabouttheidealofbalance,butbygaininganintuitivefeel
foritbypokingatthis,pokingatthat,leaningthisway,leaningthat.Whatever
theattitudethatscomingupinthemindthediscouragement,thefrustration,
theirritation,whateveryoupokeatit.Youdontnecessarilyhavetobelieveit.
Andwhateverpositiveattitudescomeupinthemind,nomatterhowsmall
theymightseem,thosearewhatyouvegottoworkwith.Afterall,redwood
treescomefromtinyseeds.Ifyousteponthem,theyneverhaveachanceto
grow.Butifyoulookatthemcarefully,youcanrecognizethem,youcanseethat
theyredifferentfromweedseeds.Thatgivesyouanideaofwhatyouvegotto
encourageandwhatyouvegottodiscourageinthemind,whatyouvegotto
cultivateandwhatyouvegottocutout,uproot.
Sogardeninglikethismaynotbeglamorousworkanditmaynotbeflashy,
butthisishowallgenuineworkisdoneinthisworld.Thisishowthingscometo
blossom.Youpokearoundbitbybitbybit,payingcarefulattention,making
mistakesandlearningfromthem.Thatsthesortofworkthatgetssolidresults,
resultsthatbuildonagoodsolidfoundation,whereyoutakethestairwayandit
doesultimatelygetyouuptothetopfloorwithnodangerofcrashingdown.
39

Conceit

January19,2007

Conceitisoneofthosequalitiesweallhaveanditsaslipperyfriend.There
aretimeswhenitsuseful,asinthatpassagewhereAnandateachesanunthat
wepracticetoovercomeconceitandyetwehavetouseconceitinthepractice.
Theexamplehegivesisthatwhenyouhearofsomeonewhohasputanendto
suffering,hasmadeitallthewaytothegoal,youcanreflect,Thatpersonisa
humanbeing;Imahumanbeing.Thatpersoncandoit;socanI.Tothatextent,
youneedconceitinthepractice.Ifyoubelievethatyoucantdothepractice,orif
itseemswaybeyondyou,youendupgivingup,yousetyoursightslow.Andas
weallknow,youneverhithigherthanyouaim.Sotothatextent,conceitis
helpful.
Butithasitsfangs.AjaanMahaBoowacallsitthefangsofignorancewhen
youhavetheconceitthat,Well,thisisgoingtobeeasy,andyougetcareless,
complacent.Andconceithasanothersideaswell.TheBuddhatalksabout
comparingyourselftootherpeople:thinkingthatyourebetterthantheyare,or
equaltothem,orworsethantheyare.Allofthesecomparisonscountasconceit.
Inotherwords,theideaIamthis,Iamthatgetsbroughtintoeveryissue,
andthisiswhereitgrowsfangs:Imreallygoodateverything,thereforeIm
goingtobegoodatthis,andyougetcareless.Oryoumaythink,Imnotupto
this.Thisisbeyondme,andyougiveup.Youmakethepracticeharderthanit
hastobe.Soitsafineline,realizingwhereconceitisgoingtobehelpfuland
whereitsgoingtobite.
First,therestheissueofconfidence.Ontheonehand,itsimportanttorealize
thatthispathyoureonisahardpathtofollow,soyoucantgoonthe
complacentassumptionthat,Thisisgoingtobeeasyforme.Ontheother
hand,youdontwanttodiscourageyourselfwiththethought,Itsgoingtobe
impossibleforme.Theproblemisntthepath,orhoweasyorharditis.Itsthe
meinthere.Thatsthefangs.Sotrytoputthatwordasideasmuchasyoucan.
Remindyourselfsimply,Thisiswhathastobedone.Isitgoingtokillyou?
Well,no.Thenyoucandoit.
ThatswhatAjaanFuangsaidtomeonce.Oneevening,afteralongdayof
work,hetoldmetositupallnight.Thiswasveryearlyoninmytimewithhim,
andIwasdumbenoughtosay,IdontthinkIcandothat.Helookedatme
40
andsaid,Isitgoingtokillyou?Well,no.Thenyoucandoit.Thisdidnt
meanthatitwasntgoingtobehard.Itwashard,butafterall,thisisahard
practice.Itgoesagainstallourinclinations.Welikeourgreed.Welikeouranger,
sometimes.Welikeourdelusions,andyetallthesethingshavetobeputaside,
letgoofaswepractice.Butitswithinhumancapabilitytodothis.Evenifyou
dodieinthepractice,itsagoodwaytodie.Itsbetterthandyingwithout
havingaccomplishedanythingordyingdoingsomethingreallystupid.
Sotrytothinkinthoseterms:Realizethateventhoughitshard,thisispartof
beingagoodfriendtoyourself.Oneofthedefinitionsofagoodfriendis
someonewhoisabletogivewhatshardtogive,todowhatshardtodo,to
endurewhatshardtoendure.Ifyoumeetfriendslikethat,associatewiththem.
Valuethem.Treasurethem.Thesearethepeopleyoureallywantasyourfriends.
Andyouwanttobeabletomakeyourselfyourownbestfriendinjustthesame
way.
Askyourself,Whatshardforyoutogive,andyetsomethingthatsactually
aburdenforyou?Forgivenessisonething.Itsfunnyhowsometimesmaterial
thingsareeasytogive,butforgiveness,whichistotallyfree,canbeveryhard.
Justgodownthelistofthepeopleinyourlifewhoyoufindithardtoforgive,
andtryit:Forgivethem.Trynottocarryagrudgeandyoullfindthatthatsa
reallygoodgifttogivetoyourself.
Dowhatishardtodo.Meditatelongerthanyoumightwantto.Dowalking
meditationlongerthanyoumightwantto.Putmoreeffortintothepracticethan
youwantto,andyoullfindthatyoubenefit.Thistiesinwithenduringwhats
hardtoendure.Painishardtoendure.Otherpeoplesdislikeishardtoendure.
Well,learntoendureit.Itsnotgoingtokillyou.Thisdoesntmeanthatyousit
thereandgrityouteeththroughthepain.Learntouseyourwisdom.AsAjaan
Chahoncesaid,ifyoucouldgainAwakeningsimplybyendurance,chickens
wouldhaveattainedAwakeningalongtimeagotheycansitforreallylong
hours.Youhavetouseyourwisdom.Whensomethingseemsburdensome,why
isitburdensome?Exactlywhatisitplacingaburdenon?Andwhydoyouwant
toidentifywithwhatsbeingburdened?Canyoulearnnottoidentifywithit?
Agoodwaytolearntheselessonsistoforceyourselfintosituationswhere
youvegottofacethisdifficultyheadon.Okay,itsthere,itsaproblem,andtry
touseyouringenuitytogetaroundit.Itswhenyourecorneredthatyourealize
thatyouvegottofindawayout.Andthatyoucan.
Solearntobeyourownbestfriend.Itsnotamatterofbeingpessimisticor
optimistic.Itsamatteroflearningtobeheedful.Heedfulnessinvolvesan
interestingcombinationofqualities.Ontheonehand,youreconfidentthatyour
actionsdomakeadifference,soheedfulnessisnotnegativeorpessimistic.Onthe
otherhand,yourealizethattherearedangersoutthere,dangersinsideaswell.
41
Therearedifficultiesyouvegottoworkwith.Yourespectthosedifficultiesbut
youdontgetoverwhelmedbythem.Inotherwords,youvegottodropthe
elementofconceitfromyourgrasp.Dontbringyourselfintowhatyoure
doing.DontbringIcandothisreallyeasilyorIcantdothisatall.Justput
themasideandseewhatyoucando.Evenifthingsdontworkoutwellthefirst
time,try,try,tryagain.Thisishowpeoplegrow.
OneofAjaanFuangstermsofcriticismwasofsomeonewhowasgoodeven
beforehedtriedsomethinginotherwords,thesortofpersonwhosgotitall
figuredoutbeforehand.Hedidnttrustpeoplelikethat.Atthesametime,
though,ifhefoundthatyouweregettingverypessimisticaboutyourabilityto
practice,hedidntwantyoutostaythere,either.Beingoverlyoptimisticor
overlypessimisticwere,asfarashewasconcerned,reallyunskillfulwaysof
approachingthepath.Theyrebothformsofconceit.Admitthatthingsare
difficultbutdowhatyoucan.
Andlearntodevelopyourdiscernment.Watchoutforthosefangsof
ignorance:theIamthisorIamthatorImnotusedtothis,Icantstand
this,Thisishardforme.DroptheI,theme,andthingsgetaloteasier.
Soeventhoughitmaybehard,youcandoit.Thethingsthatarehardtogive,
youcangive.Thethingsthatarehardtodo,youcando.Thethingsthatarehard
toendure,youdiscoveryoucanendure.Itmaynotbeeasythefirsttime.You
mayfindyourselfrunningintoabrickwall,butevenbrickwallscanbebattered
down.Theyhavetheircracks.Therearewaysaroundthem,underthem,over
them,throughthem.Allyouhavetodoisfindwheretheyare.
Solearntheproperuseofconceit:theconfidencethat,yes,youcandothis;
otherpeoplecandoit,itssomethinghumanbeingshavedoneyoureahuman
being,youcandoittoo.Onceyouvegotthatamountofconviction,dropthe
you,droptheme,theI,andthensettowork.Thatrighttheremakesita
loteasier.Andthiswayyoubecomeyourownbestfriend.
42

ASenseofAdventure

October20,2007

Asyouembarkonthepracticeandasyoustaywiththepracticeitsbest
tothinkofitasavoyageofdiscovery.Afterall,theBuddhasaysthatthegoalis
toseewhatyouveneverseenbefore,torealizewhatyouveneverrealized
before,toattainwhatyouveneverattainedbefore.Soyouregoingintothe
unknown.Thismeansthatyouregoingtohavetodealwithriskand
uncertainty,whichrequireaninterestingmixofattitudes.Ontheonehand,you
needacertainamountofconfidence.Ontheotherhand,youneedhumility.The
confidenceisconfidenceinyourabilitytodealwithunknownfactorsasthey
arise.Thehumilityistherealizationthatyoucantexpecteverythingtofollow
yourpreconceivednotions.Thepathisgoingtostretchyourimaginationandask
moreoutofyouthanyoumightoriginallybepreparedtogive.Soyouneedthe
confidencethatYes,youcandothisandYes,thisisagoodplacetogo.Andyou
needthehumilitytorealizethatNo,youdontknowbeforehandwhatitsgoing
tobelike.Youhavetobewillingtolearn.
Somepeoplewanttohaveallkindsofguaranteesbeforetheyembarkonthis
training,butyoucantreallyguaranteeanything.Youcanguaranteethatwhen
youreachthegoalitsgoingtobegood,buthowmuchisthatguaranteeworth
forsomeonewhohasntexperiencedityet?Justonemorethingtotakeinto
consideration.TheBuddha,whenheembarkedonhisquest,hadnoguarantee
thatallthesacrificewasgoingtobeworthit,thathewasgoingtofindthe
deathless,oreventhathewasgoingtosurvive.Buthehadreachedapointinhis
lifewhereherealizedthatifhedidntatleasttryit,hewouldfeelthathislife
hadbeenwasted.Andsoforhimitwasahugeexperiment.Therewasalotof
riskandalotofuncertainty.Andyethewaswillingtotaketheriskandtoface
theuncertainty.
Forus,itsnotquitethatdrastic.Wehavepeoplewhovegonebefore.Theres
thequestionofwhetherwecantrustthemandbelievethem,butthenlookatthe
alternative:alifeliveddevotedtothepursuitofsensualpleasures,tryingto
squeezehappinessoutofthingsthataregoingtodieandthatwellhavetoleave
intheendifnotbeforetheend.Soattheveryleastyousay,Well,theresa
possibilityhere.Letsgiveitatry.Trytohavethatsenseofadventure.Beopen
tonewthingsandlearnhowtodealwithuncertainties.
43
Earliertodayweweretalkingaboutthemapsforthejhanas.Whenyoutryto
applythemaptoyouractualexperience,itsgoingtobeuncertainforawhile.
Youreadthedescriptionofdirectedthoughtandevaluation,raptureandall,and
thequestionis:Whatdothosetermscorrespondtoinyouractualexperience?
Youmayhavesomeideas,buttheymaybewrong.Isthatgoingtostopyoufrom
practicing?Itshouldnt.Itshouldsimplyalertyoutothefactthatyouregoingto
bedealinginuncertaintiesforawhile.Whenyouplacelabelsonyour
experiences,theyhavetobepostitnotes,signpoststouseinthemeantimeuntil
yougetabettersenseoftheterrain.Thesurestofthesignpostsistheoneforthe
fourthjhanawhentheinandoutbreathstopsandstaysstoppedforthe
durationofthatstateofmindbutthatsallthewayinthefourth.Sohoware
yougoingtoknowthesignpostsforone,two,andthree?Well,youguessforthe
timebeingandyouattachafewnoteshere,afewnotesthere.Andhavethe
confidencethatwhenyoufindsomethingmorecertain,youregoingtobeina
positiontorearrangethenotesifneedbe.
Thesenseofadventurealsomeansthatyoumayhavesomeanticipationsof
whatsgoingtoworkandwhatthingsshouldbelikeinthepractice.Butright
anticipationisnotpartofthepath.Sometimesyouranticipationscanpushthings
inthewrongdirection.TheBuddhasinstructionsareveryprecise,andpretty
simple,andpartofusdoesntbelieveanythingthatsimplecouldreallywork.
Theremustbesomesecret;theremustbesomewayyoucanspeedtheprocess
along.Butsometimesinspeedingalongyouderailyourself.
Itslikesharpeningaknifeonastone.Ifyoureintoomuchofahurry,you
canruintheblade.Soyousitthereverycarefullyrubbingitagainstthestone,
rubbingitagainstthestone,makingsurethatthepressureisevenallalongthe
blade.Thenyourealizethatyoumaybeatthisforawhile.Partofthemindsays,
Well,IdliketohaveitdonefastsoIcangooffanddosomethingelse.But
therealsohastobeanotherpartofthemindthatsays,Ifyoutrytospeeditup,
youcouldruinit.Sokeepdoingwhatyouredoing.Eventhoughtheresults
dontappearasquicklyasyoudlike,maybetheslowresultsaretheonesthat
willbethemostlasting.Soyouhavetoputyourpreconceivednotionsaside.
Donttrytoskipoverthesteps.TheBuddhadoesteachasenseofurgency,but
healsoteachespatience.Andyouhavetolearnhowtobalancethetwoandbe
willingtolearnnewthings.
ThiseveningIwasreadingastudyguidetosomeofthesuttasthatraised
questionsaboutdifferentpassagesinthesuttasthatjustdidntsoundrighttothe
author,ordidntseemtofitinwithhispreconceivednotions.Buttheresalways
thequestionofwhetherournotions,ratherthanthepassages,arewrong.Theres
alotgoingoninthetexts,maybemorethanwerealize.TheBuddhawastalking
topeopleinadifferenttime,withadifferentrangeofexperiences.Sometimeshe
44
wastalkingtopeoplewithextremelyunusualmeditativeexperiences.Inother
words,maybeheknewwhathewastalkingabout,whyhehadtoaddressthat
issueinthatparticularway.Maybethetextsareaccuratelyreportingwhathe
saideventhoughtheydontfitintoourpreconceivednotionsofwhatthetexts
wouldbelikeiftheywerewrittenforamodernAmericanaudience.
SowhatyouareaskedasyoureadtheDhammaandasyouapproachthe
practiceasawholeistostretchyourimaginationabit.Itsnotthecasethatthe
Buddhawillbeabletoproveeverythingtoyoubeforehandbeforeyoure
willingtoactsothatyoucanactwithconfidenceandfullawarenessofwhere
youregoingtogoandhowyouregoingtogetthere.Youhavetobewillingto
livewithuncertaintyandtoputquestionmarksagainstalotofyour
assumptions.Remindyourselfthatyourassumptionsaretheassumptionsofa
personwithdefilement,theassumptionsofapersonstillsuffering.Perhapsit
wouldbeinyourbestinteresttoputthemasideforthetimebeinginsteadof
demandingthateverythingfitintoyourpreconceivednotionsofhowthings
shouldbe.
Andyoushouldbewillingtoembarkonthiswithouta100%guaranteethat
everythingisgoingworkoutthewayyouwantitto.Haveaclearsenseofthe
precariousnessofyourownposition,ofwhereyouarerightnow.Wheredoyou
getyoursustenance?Wheredoesthemindgainitspleasures?Arethosethings
solidandsecure?Whenyougointotheuncertaintyofthepath,areyouleaving
anareaoftruecertaintyandassurednesstogooffintofigmentsofsomeones
imagination?Orareyouleavingtheworldofyourcurrentuncertaintiestotest
somedifferentuncertaintiesthatultimatelypromisesomethingmorecertain
thanwhereyourestayingrightnow?
Thisiswhyoneofthebasicprinciplesinthepracticeispracticingthe
DhammainaccordancewiththeDhammainotherwords,notinaccordance
withyourpreconceivednotions,notinaccordancewithyourideasofwhatyou
wantbeforeyouregoingtocommityourselftothepractice.Insteadofreshaping
theDhammatofityournotions,maybeyouhavetoreshapeyourselftofitthe
Dhamma.Thereisboundtobeaperiodofdiscomfort,boundtobeasenseof
frustrationwhenthingsarenotquiteworkingoutthewayyouwantedthemto.
Butyouneedthematuritytolearnhowtodealwiththat.Thisisnotapathfor
immaturepeople.Itsapathforpeoplewhoknowthattheyareinavery
precariouspositionalready,andthattheirideasandassumptionsareespecially
precarious.Buttheideasandpresumptionsofamaterialisticworldview,which
iswhatwewerebroughtupin,offeraverylimitedrangeofhappiness,whereas
theDhammaoffersalotmore.Itssimplyuptoustodecidewhetherwere
willingtomakethesacrificesandtaketherisktoseeifthemoreisareality,if
whattheBuddhahadtosayistrue.
45

46

OnthePathoftheBreath

February11,2008

OncetheBuddhawasextollingtheadvantagesofbreathmeditation,the
benefitsthatcouldbederivedfromkeepingthebreathinmind,andoneofthe
monkssaid,Ialreadydobreathmeditation.SotheBuddhaaskedhim,What
kindofbreathmeditationdoyoudo?Andthemonkreplied,Isitbreathing,
puttingawayanydesiresforthepastorfuture,andanyirritationinthepresent
momenti.e.,developingasenseofequanimityforwhatsarisingandpassing
awayrighthereandnow.Andthatwasit:Thatwashismethod.TheBuddha
responded,Well,thatisaformofbreathmeditation.Idontsaythatitsnot,but
thatsnothowyougetthemostbenefitoutofthebreath.
Soheproceededtoteachbreathmeditationinamuchfullerway.Andits
importanttolookcarefullyathowtheBuddhataughtbreathmeditation,because
youbegintorealizehowproactivehismethodwas.Youalsorealizethatmanyof
thestepscontainedinhismethodaremorelikequestions.Hesaid,Dothis,but
withoutfullyexplaininghowyoumightgoaboutdoingit,whichmeansthatyou
havetotestandexplore.
Thefirsttwostepsareexercisesforgainingpracticeindiscerningthe
breathdiscerningwhenitslong,discerningwhenitsshorttohelpsensitize
youtohowthebreathfeels.Whenyoudothat,youbegintonoticewhichkindof
breathingfeelsbest.Hesimplymentionslongorshort,butthereareother
qualitiesyoucanlookforaswell:deeporshallow,heavyorlight,fastorslow.In
otherwords,youwanttogetintouchwiththephysicalsensationsofthebreath.
Whenyoubreathein,wheredoyoufeelthesensationofbreathing?Whenyou
breatheout,wheredoyoufeelit?TheBuddhadoesntsaythatyouhavetofocus
onanyparticularpoint.Hesimplysays,Bringmindfulnesstothefore.Inother
words,beveryclearaboutwhatyourekeepinginmind,whichisthemeaningof
mindfulness.Tohaveapurposeinmind,whatyoureplanningtodo,andthen
yourabilitytorememberthat:Thatsmindfulness.Asforactuallywatching
whatsgoingon,thatscalledalertness.Youneedbothqualities,butithelpsto
knowwhichiswhich.
BecausetheBuddhadoesntsaywhereinthebodyyouhavetofocus,youcan
askyourself,whenyoubreathein,whereyouactuallyfeelit.Putasideyour
preconceivednotionsofwhereyoushouldbefeelingit:Wheredoyouactually
47
feelthebreath?Whereisitcomfortable;whereisituncomfortable?Fromthose
stepsinlearninghowtosensitizeyourselftothebreathing,theBuddhathen
movesontoawholeseriesoftrainingsinwhichyouhavetolearnhowtodo
something.Youwillsomethingtohappen.
Thisiswherethebreathmeditationgetsmoreproactive.Thefirsttraining
whichisthethirdstepistolearnhowtobreatheinandoutsensitivetothe
entirebody.Inotherwords,youtrytocreateanexpansivestateofmind.Youre
consciousofthebreathbutyourealsotryingtobeawareofthebodyasawhole,
fromthetopoftheheaddowntothetipsofthetoes.Thequestionis:Howdo
youdothat?Somepeoplefinditveryeasytogostraighttothewholebody.
Otherpeoplehavetoworkgraduallyuptoit.Onewayofdoingthatistogo
throughthebodysectionbysection,noticinghowthedifferentpartsofthebody
feelasyoubreathein,howtheyfeelasyoubreatheout.Andtohelpyourself
along,youmighttrymakingthebreathmorecomfortablewhereveryoufocus.
Forexample,asyoufocusonthebackoftheneck,notice:Istheretensionthere?
Whenyoubreatheindoyoubuilduptensionthere?Whenyoubreatheoutare
youholdingontotension?Whatcanyoudotorelaxit?
Thisisactuallymovingintothefourthstep,whichistocalmwhatscalled
bodilyfabrication:theeffectofbreathonthesensationofthebody.Butyou
cancombinethetwosteps.Asyougothroughthebody,workinguptothisfull
bodyawareness,youcanalsolearnhowtocalmthebreathsothatthesensation
ofbreathingfeelsgood.Youbegintorealizethatthebreathingisnotjusta
processthatyoufeelinoneortwopointsinthebody.Theentirebodyis
involvedinthebreathingprocess,oritcanbeinvolvedinthebreathingprocess.
Themoreitbecomesawholebodyprocess,themorerefreshingitfeels.
Thismovesontostepsfiveandsix:trainingyourselftobreatheinandout
withasenseofrefreshment,withasenseofeaseandpleasure.Youbuildupto
thesestepsasyoutrytofindwhichrhythmofbreathingisbestforeachpartof
thebodyuntilyourereadytosettledownatonespot.Thenthinkofyour
awarenessspreadingfromthatspottofillthewholebody.Thenyougoback
againandfollowthestrictorderofthesteps,whichis,onceyoureawareofthe
wholebody,toallowthesensationsofthebreathingtocalmdown.
Youbegintonoticethatyourideasaboutthebreathwillhaveaneffecton
howcalmitcanget.Youcanperceivethebreathindifferentways.Forinstance,
youcanholdinmindtheperceptionthatitsawholebodyprocess.Thinkofthe
breathcominginandouteveryporeoftheskin.Andthereisoxygenexchange
happeningattheskin.Themorewideopenyourpores,themoreoxygengets
exchanged.Ifyouthinkoftheskinasbeingwideopen,themusclesoftherib
cagecandolesswork.Justmakethemindstillandholdthatperceptioninplace:
Thebreathcancomeinandgooutfromanydirectionthroughallthepartsof
48
yourbody,alltheporesofyourskin.Itallconnectsonitsown,withoutyour
havingtomassageitthroughthebody.
Youllnoticethattherearesubtlesensationsinthebodyasyoubreathein,as
youbreatheout,thatcorrespondtothegrossersensationsofthemovementof
theribcage,themovementofthediaphragm.Allowthosesubtlesensationsto
blendtogetherinawaythatfeelsharmonious.Thinkofeverypartofthebody
beingconnected,alltheenergychannelsinthebodybeingconnected,sothatthe
breathenergyspreadsthroughtheminstantlyandautomatically,independently
oftheinandoutbreath,withoutyourhavingtodoanythingtobreatheitinor
out.Hereyoureusingoneoftheaggregates,theaggregateofperception,tohelp
calmthebreathdown.Andyounoticethatitdoesalsoinduceasenseofpiti,
whichisusuallytranslatedasrapture,althoughinsomecasesitsnotquiteas
strongaswhatwewouldordinarilycallrapture.Itsmoreasenseof
refreshment.Thebodyfeelsfull,satisfied.Itsasifeverylittlecellinthebodyis
gettingtobreathetoitsheartscontent,andisnotgettingsqueezedbytheother
cellsintheprocess.Asenseofeasewillcomealongwiththis.Oncethebodyhas
beenreallyrefreshedinthisway,thingswillbegintocalmdownevenfurther.
ThisiswhereyougetsensitivetowhattheBuddhacallsmentalfabrication:
feelingsandperceptions.Youvealreadynoticedthatchangingtheperceptionof
howyoubreathewillhaveaneffectonthebreathingprocessandthefeelings
thatarisefromthebreathingprocess.Italsohasaneffectonthemind.Itcalms
thingsdown.Soyoucancontinueexploringexactlywhichperceptionshelpto
calmtheminddownevenfurther.
Whatyouredoinghereislearningbothcalmandinsightatthesametime.
TheBuddhanevertreatsthesetwoqualitiesofmindasdiametricallyopposed.
Hepointsoutthattheycandevelopseparately,butideallytheyshouldbe
workingtogether.Asyoucalmthingsdownmindfully,youatthesametime
gaininsightintotheworkingsofthemind.Hereyoubegintosee,ontheone
hand,theimpactthebreathingcanhaveonthemind.Themoresoothingthe
breathbecomes,themorethemindiswillingtosettledowninthepresentand
feelsoothedbyit.Atthesametime,youseetheimpactofthemindonthe
breath.Thewayyouperceivethebreathisgoingtochangethewaythebody
actuallybreathes.Yourmentalpictureofthebreath,ofthebreathingprocess,
willhaveanimpactonwhichpartsofthebodyactuallygetinvolvedinthe
breathingprocess.
Asthingsgrowmoreandmorecalm,theyleadtoapointwhereyoucansit
herejustlookingatawarenesstheawarenessoftheminditselfasitswatching
thebreath.Thisisanimportantabilityinthemeditation:learninghowtoobserve
themind.Itsalmostasiftherearetwominds:themindbeingobservedandthe
minddoingtheobserving.Youcanwatchthestateofthemindasitstayswith
49
thebreath.Thenyoubegintonoticethatsometimesitssteadyandsometimes
itsnot.Sometimesitcanmaintainitsconcentration;sometimesitcant.
Sometimesitfeelsrefreshedandgladdenedbydoingthemeditation;othertimes
itfeelslikethemeditationismoreofachore,whenyourejustgoingthroughthe
motions.Youwanttolearnhowtoreadyourmindinthisway.Onceyoucan
readit,youcanthenlearntoprovideitwithwhateveritneeds.
Forinstance,howdoyougladdenthemindwhenitsfeelingalittlebitdown,
alittlebitboredbytheprocess?Whatcanyoudotomakeitmoreinteresting?
TheanalogytheBuddhagivesisofanintelligentcookworkinginthepalacefor
aprince.Nowtogettobeacookworkingforaprince,youhavetobesensitive
towhattheprincelikes.Theprinceisntgoingtocomedowntothekitchenand
say,Hey,buddy,tomorrowIdlikefriedchicken,orTomorrowIdliketofu.
Theprincewillsitthereathistableandhellreachforthisfoodandnotreachfor
thatfood,takealotofthisandtakeonlyalittlebitofthat.Soyouvegottonotice
that.Youhavetopickuponthesignstheprinceissending.Whetherhes
sendingthemconsciouslyornot,youwanttonoticethem.Andthen,whenyou
canreadhissigns,youcananticipatehiswantseveryday.
AsKingAsokaoncesaidinoneofhisedictsthatifthepeoplewhoworked
forhimweregoingtopleasehim,theyhadtoknowwhathewantedevenbefore
heknew.Youhavetolearnhowtobethatquickatreadingyourownmind.
Whatdoesthemindneedrightnow?Whatisitgoingtoneedwiththenext
breath?Sometimesitgetsboredwiththebreath,soyoucangiveitotherthings
tothinkabout.Youcandevelopqualitiesofgoodwill,compassion,empathetic
joy,orequanimity.YoucanthinkabouttheBuddha,theDhamma,theSangha.
Allofthesearevalidtopicsofmeditation.Theyretheretoinspirethemind,to
gladdentheheart.Youcanthinkaboutthegoodtimesyouvebeengenerousin
thepast,whenyoudidntreallyhavetosharesomethingbutyoufeltmovedto
share.Orofthetimesyoucouldhavegottenawaywithharmingsomebodyor
takingsomethingawayfromthem,butyoudidnt.Thinkaboutthosetimes.
Theyhelpbringjoytothepractice.Inotherwords,likethecook,youlearnhow
toreadyourmindandthenprovideitwithwhateverfooditneeds.
Thesamewiththeissueofsteadyingthemind:Whenthemindisfeelingkind
ofwobbly,howdoyougetitfullyandfirmlyfixedhereinthepresentmoment?
Youmightwanttogobackandreviewsomeofthestepsinthemeditation:
Whichonesareyouforgetting?Haveyouforgottentostaywiththewholebody?
Haveyouforgottenhowtogiverisetoasenseofrapture,refreshment?Well,go
backanddothosethings.Oryoumightbeabletochangethewayyouperceive
thebreathing.Thinkofthebreathgoingdownintoyourbones.Focusonthe
breathingsensationsinyourhandsandfeet.Somepeoplefindthatfocusingon
50
onespotatatimeisnotenoughtokeepthemreallytransfixed,sogiveyourself
twospots.
IknewanoldwomaninThailandwhenIwasfirstgettinginvolvedin
meditation.Shewasaretiredschoolteacherandshesaidthatoneofthequickest
waysofgettingthemindtosettledownandstayreallyfocusedinthepresent
momentwastofocusonthesensationsintheheadandthesensationsatthebase
ofthespineatthesametime.Thinkofthoseastwobreathingcenters.Andyou
mayfindthattheeffortinvolvedinkeepingtwothingsgoingatoncethinking
ofalineconnectingthetwotomakeitasinglesensationreallysteadiesthe
mind,focusesit,getsittosettledownandstaystill.
ThenextsteptheBuddharecommendsislearninghowtoreleasethemind.
Herehesnottalkingabouttheultimaterelease,butsimplyabouthowyourefine
yourconcentration.Oneoftheimportantwaysofgaininginsightwhileyourein
theprocessofdevelopingconcentrationistobeabletonoticethedifferences
amongthevariouslevelsofconcentrationasyougothroughthem.Sometimes
yousettledownandyourestillsortofhoveringaroundthebreathasyoutryto
adjustit.Othertimesyoucanletyourselfsimplydiveintothebreath,tobe
bathedbythebreathing,withouthavingtoanalyzemuchatall.Whatyouve
doneisthatyouvemovedfromusingdirectedthoughtandevaluationtohelp
withtheconcentrationtothepointwhereyoudontneedthemanymore.You
canletthemgo.Theresamuchgreatersenseofrefreshmentthatcomes,a
greatersenseoffullness,asyoureonewiththebreathasopposedtohovering
protectivelyoutside.Thatsonewayofreleasingthemind.Thenyoucan
comparewhichstateismoreeaseful,whichstatehasmorestress.Andthenagain
youcanprovidethemindwithwhatitneeds.
Onceyouvelearnedthesewaysofdealingwiththebreath,theworkingsof
yourmindbecomealotmoretransparent,justasthebreathelementinthebody
becomesmoretransparent.Thatswhenyourereadytotaketheworkofinsight
evendeeper,seeingtheinconstancyofanythingthatsintended,whetherits
physicalormentalanythingthatsfabricatedinanywayatall,whetheritsa
bodilyfabricationoramentalfabrication.Nomatterhoweasefulandrefreshing
andstablethemindinconcentrationmaybe,theresstillaslightinstability,a
slightwaveringyoucandetect.Andastheminddevelopsasenseofdispassion
foreverythingintentional,itgrowsdisenchanted.Itshadenoughofthis.Thats
whenitsreallyreadytoletgoi.e.,itlosesinterestinfabricatingthese
fabrications,andsotheystop.Thatswheneverythinggetsrelinquished,
includingthepath.
Thisishowyoucangetgreatbenefit,greatrewardsoutofthepracticeof
breathmeditation.Itsnotsimplyameansforcalmingtheminddown.The
breathitselfbecomesawayofunderstandingtheprocessoffabricationinboth
51
bodyandmind.Anditultimatelyallowsyoutodevelopasenseofdispassion,
notbecauseyoucomeintothemeditationwithanegativeattitude,butbecause
youvelearnedhowtooutgrowtheexercisesthattheBuddhahassetoutforyou.
Itslikeachildoutgrowingagame.Youveplayedthegameenoughsothatyou
knoweverythingthegamehastooffer.Youvemasteredallthechallengesand
arereadyforsomethingmore.Sothedispassionhereismorelikethedispassion
thathappenswhenyounaturallygrowup,whenyoumature.Itsthedispassion
thatcomeswhenyourealizetheremustbesomethingbetter.
Yousometimeshearthatthepointofmeditationistolearnsimplytoaccept
thingsastheyareandnottobetoodemandingofwhatyouneedtobehappy.
Thatprincipleworksonanoutsidelevel,teachingcontentmentwithyour
externalsituation,butitdoesntworkontheinsidelevel.TheBuddhasaidthat
hegainedAwakeningbynotrestingcontentwiththestateofhismind.Onthe
innerlevel,hesaidtonoticewhatthingscanprovidewhatlevelofhappiness,
andtoseehowfaryoucanpushthisprocessoffabrication.Becausethatswhat
youredoingasyoubreatheinthisway:Youreexploringthepotentialsfor
bodilyfabrication,verbalfabrication,andmentalfabricationtoseehowfarthey
cango.Onceyouveexploredtheirlimits,youwantsomethingbetter.You
realizethatyoucantlooktofabrication,totheseactsofintention,fortrue
happinessanyfurther.Youvegottogodeeper.Youvegottolearnhowto
abandoneventheseskillfulintentions.
Whatthismeansisthatyoumaintainahighstandardforwhatitmeanstobe
happy.Infact,youheightenyourstandardsforwhatsgoingtocountastrue
happinessasyougrowinthepractice.Youbegintorealizethatinthepast
youvebeenlookinginthewrongplace.Youvebeensettlingforacrudeand
unreliablehappiness.Youvebeenlookingforallyourhappinessinthingsthat
arefabricated.Isitpossiblefortheretobehappinessinsomethingtotally
unfabricated,totallyunintended?Youlookforthatsomethingthatlieseven
beyondtheintentionsofequanimity,theintentionsofcalmorstillness,the
intentionsofinsight.Youcantgettothatlevelwithouthavingdevelopedthese
otherskills,becausethesearetheskillsthatrefineyourpowersofawareness.
Theyrenottakingyoutoaplacethatyoucouldcreate,whichiswhatyouve
beendoingallalong,buttheyaretakingyoutoadimensionyoucouldnthave
foundwithouthavingcreatedthecreations.Theactofcreationsensitizesyou,
andasyougetmorerefinedinyourskill,itclearsawayalotofthestaticinyour
experienceofthepresent.Itsensitizesyoutovery,verysubtlethings.
Itsliketuninginonaradio.Themoresensitiveyourear,themoreyoucan
tellwhetheryouretunedintotheradiostationverypreciselyoryoureoffalittle
bit.Ifyoureoffalittlebit,theresgoingtobestatic,interference.Soyoukeep
52
tuningin,tuningin,asyoureargetsbetterandbetter.Youdontwanteventhe
leastlittlebitofstatic.Andthatshowyougetrightontarget.
Thisishowthebreathleadsyouallthewaytonibbana.Ofcoursethebreath
doesntdothatitself.ButifyoufollowtheBuddhassteps,learninghowto
masterthestepsherecommendsforyoutoexperimentandexplore,thebreath
doesbecomeapath.Itsapathhappeningrighthereallthetime.Sotrytotake
advantageofwhatsrighthereandseehowfaryoucango.
53

APostbytheOcean

September21,2007

Weliveinastormyworld,aworldofconstantchange.Asinthatpassagewe
chantedjustnowaboutaging,illness,death,andseparationwhich,whenyou
thinkaboutthesethingsonlythatfar,getsprettydepressing.Butfortunatelywe
donthavetothinkaboutthesethingsonlythatfar.Wecanthinkalittlefurther.
Asintheotherchant:MayIbehappy.TheBuddhahasusrespectthatwishfor
truehappiness.Andhepointsoutthewaytotruehappiness,whichisthrough
ourownactions.Thatsthepartofthefirstchantthatsays,Imtheownerofmy
actions,heirtomyactions.Thisiswhatwecandependon.
Eventhoughouractionsmaychange,wetrytodevelopacertainamountof
constancyinthemind.Thisiswhywerepracticingconcentration,focusingon
thebreath,stayingwiththebreathasitcomesin,stayingwiththebreathasit
goesout,doingwhatwecantomakeiteasytostaywiththebreath.Partofthat
involvesallowingthebreathtobecomfortable,andhavingthesensethatthe
breathisnotjustaircominginandoutofthelungs.Welearnhowtoperceive
thebreathasthewholebodyenergyflow.Howdothedifferentpartsofthe
bodyfeelduringtheinbreath?Doyoutendtotenseuparoundyourneck,orin
yourshoulders?Canyoubreatheininawaythatyoudonttenseup?Itsall
connectedyourposture,thewayyoubreathe,thewaythebloodflowsthrough
thebody.Youcanexploretheseissuesasawayofmakingiteasiertostayhere.
Anotherwayofmakingiteasiertostayhereistohavetherightviewabout
whatyouredoing.Itmayseemalittlething,justkeepingthemindinonespot.
Youcanthinkofalltheotherthingsyoumightbedoingrightnow,alltheother
responsibilitiesyouhave,alltheotherproblemsyoucouldsolve.Thosethings
canpullyouawaybecauseitsnotjustgrossmanifestationsofgreed,angerand
delusionthatpullusaway.Yourmisinformedsenseofresponsibilitycanalso
pullyouaway:thatsenseof,Well,Ivereallygottothinkaboutthis.Ivegotto
prepareforthat.Ivegotalltheseotherresponsibilitiesoutthereintheworld,
thingsIvegottoprevent,thingsIvegottoencourage.Butwhenyouthinkin
thoseways,youreneglectingoneofyourmajorresponsibilities,whichisthatif
youregoingtodoanythingeffective,anythingskillful,themindhastohavea
goodsolidbasisinside.
54
Itslikeapostattheedgeoftheocean.Ifyourpostisplantedfirmlydownin
thesandorevenbetter,ifitsfirmlyplanteddownintotherockbelowthe
sandthenwhenthewavescomein,thewavesgoout,thepostdoesntgoin,
doesntgooutwiththem.Youcanusethatpostforlotsofusefulthings.Itcan
becomeapostonwhichyoubuildahouse.Itcanbeaposttowhichyoutieup
yourboat,sothattheboatdoesntgetwashedouttosea.Andthepostitself
doesntgetdamagedmuchbythewaves.
Butifyoutakeyourpostandlayitdownattheedgeoftheoceanthinking
thatbylayingitdownthereyoucanpreventthewavesfromcominginmuch
betterthanifitsstandinginonespotwhathappensofcourseisthatthepost
getswashedin,washedout,andafterawhile,itgetssmashedagainstarock
someplace.Ifanythingistiedtothepost,itllgetsmashed,too.Inotherwords,if
youtakeontoomanyresponsibilitiesoutintheworldbutdonthaveafirm
foundationforthemind,themindendsupgettingsmashedtopieces.Anditsof
nousetoanybody.
Sowhileyourefocusedononesmallpointrightherejustthebreath,just
thebodyitmayseemlikeyoureneglectingyourotherresponsibilities,butin
actualityyourenot.Youreprovidingasolidfoundationforthemind.Amind
withasolidfoundationisalotmoreuseful,bothforyouandforthepeople
aroundyou.Takethisasyourprimeresponsibility.
Becausetheresreallyonlysomuchyoucandofortheworld.Youmaythink
aboutotherpeopleyoudliketohelp,butthereareareasoftheirminds,areasof
theirexperience,whereyoucantreach,whereyoucanttouchthematall.You
seethisveryclearlywhensomeoneissickandsufferinginpain.Youcantgoin
andhelpshareoutthepain.Youmaybeabletogivethatpersonamedicinethat
helpsrelievethepainsomewhat.Butsometimestheressomuchpainthatitgoes
beyondthereachofanymorphine,anyopium,anypainkilleratall.Thatswhere
thatpersonhastoberesponsibleforhimorherself.Youseethisinotherpeople
anditshouldremindyouthatyouregoingtohavetofacethosesameissues
somedayyourself.Thatsanareawhereeachofushastoberesponsible.Ifwe
canberesponsibleabouthowwehandleourpain,weremuchlessburdensome
tothepeoplearoundus.
Afterall,itisourresponsibility.Weweretheoneswhochosetobebornhere.
Itwasbecauseofourdesiresandourcravingsthatwetookbirthashuman
beings.Whenyoureresponsibleforyourbirth,thenyoualsohavetobe
responsibleforhowyouhandleyouraging,illness,anddeath.Theyallcomeas
partofthesamepackage.Andthepointfromwhichyouregoingtolearnhowto
handlethesethingsisthispointrighthereasyourefocusedonthebreath,
focusedinthepresentmoment,learninghowtoletgoofallyourotherwrong
55
views,allyourotherdistractions,alltheotherthingsyoumightclingtothatare
goingtoendupgettingyousmashedagainsttherocks.
Sotrytomaintainthisspot.Thinkofitasapostplantedagainstthewavesof
theocean.Eventhoughthepostgetsknockedover,yourealizeyoushouldntlet
itstayknockedover.Youknowitsinabetterpositionwhenitsstandingup,
planteddowndeepintothesand.Justknowingthatmuchcanhelpalot.
Otherwise,youfeelyouoweittootherpeopletoletyourpostliedowninthe
waves,thinkingthatthepostsomehowwillprotectthemfromtheforceofthe
waves.Butwhathappensisthatsometimesthewavescomebehindthepostand
pushupagainstotherpeople,smashingthemupagainsttherocks.Soitsbothfor
yourowngoodandforthegoodofthepeoplearoundyouthatyoutrytokeep
thispostfirmlyplantedrighthere.Andtrytokeepyourviewsright.Theresalot
outthereintheworldthatyoucannotchange.Theresalotyoucantevenknow.
Kierkegaardoncecommentedthatwelivelifeforwardbutweunderstand
backwards.Inotherwords,therearealotofdecisionswehavetomakeright
now,butwedontreallyknowhowtheyregoingtoturnouttomorroworthe
nextday,nextmonth,nextyear.Wecanlookbackondecisionswemadeinthe
pastandsay,Gee,Ishouldnthavedonethat;Ishouldnthavesaidthis.And
insomecases,wemadethewrongdecisionfullyknowingwhatweweredoing.
Thosearethedecisionsthatcarryalotofblame.Butalotoftimes,wemadethat
wrongdecisionbecausewecouldntknow.Thatkindofdecisionissomething
youcantblameanybodyfor.Nobodycanblameyou;youcantblameanybody
else.Soyouhavetoleavethattobeinguncertain.Itspartofthewindsandthe
waves.
Liketonightsweatherforecast:Theysaytheremaybeastormcomingin.We
dontknowforsure.Wedoourbesttoprepare.Ifthestormdoesntcomein,will
wesay,Well,allthatpreparationwasawasteoftime,awasteofenergy.We
couldvedoneotherthings.Thatsnottherightattitude.Youprepareasbest
youcan.Andasforthethingsyoudontknow,youjustletthemgo.Whatyou
doknowarecertainbasicprinciples.Ifyoucandevelopmoremindfulness,more
alertness,moreconcentration,morediscernmentinthemind,youllbebetter
preparedforhandlingthingsastheycomeup,evenifyoudontknowaheadof
timewhattheywillbe.Ifyouvegotthesequalitiesdevelopedinthemind,youll
beinabetterpositiontohandleanything,whatevercomesyourway.
Theprimemeansfordevelopingthesequalitiesisbygivingthemindone
placetostaystill,andthenmaintainingthatstillnessregardlessofwhateverelse
maycometoknockitover.Insomecases,thatrequiresjustbeingmindfuland
alerttowhatshappening.Inothercases,itrequiresmorediscernment,catching
thecurrentsofthemindthatwouldknockyouover,learninghowtoresistthe
onesthatsay,Youreallyoughttothinkaboutthis;youreallyoughttoworry
56
aboutthat.Youresittingherewithyoureyesclosedfocusingonyourbreath,
ignoringyourresponsibilities.Youvegottolearnhowtobeabletoarguewith
thosethoughtssothattheydontovercomethemind.
Sorememberthepostattheedgeofthesea.Ifitsjustlyingdownthereon
thesand,thewaveswillcomeup,andthepostwillgetwashedbackandforth.If
therearepeoplestandingonthebeach,thepostmighthurtthem.Ifthereare
rocksonthebeach,thewavesmightwashthepostupagainsttherocksand
smashit.Youdontwantthat.Ifyourpostisplantedfirmlythereattheedgeof
thewater,itsalotmoreusefulforyourselfandforthepeoplearoundyou.
Sohaveasenseofthevalueofstayingfirmlyplantedrighthere,focusedright
here,developingthisstillnessasaskill,gettingthemindtobeasconstantas
possible.Weknowthattheconstancyyoucreatethroughconcentrationlikethis
cannotbetotallyconstant.Afterall,yourebuildingyourpathhereoutofwhat
arecalledaggregates.AndastheBuddhasaid,alltheseaggregatesare
inconstant,stressful,andnotself.Whenwereresistingthattosomeextent,we
knowthatwecantultimatelymakeourstateofconcentrationpermanent.But
whatwearedoingisgivingthemindthestrengthitneedstoletgoofthingsthat
causeharm,ofthingsthatcausesuffering,becausewerelettinggofroma
positionofstrength.Wedontletgooutofweakness.Ifpeopleletgooutof
weakness,theresboundtobeanelementofsourgrapes,anelementof
dissatisfactionorresentment,whichmeansthattheydontreallyletgo.Theyre
hopingforsomeothertimewhentheycanlatchonagain.
Butifyouletgooutofstrength,youletgoforsure.Whenyouveletgoof
thingsoutsideyourconcentration,thenyoucanturnandlookatthe
concentrationitself.Yourealizethatyourconcentrationanddiscernmenthave
takenthemindthisfar,buttheycantakeitnofurther.Theonlythingthats
keepingyoufromgoingfurtheristhefactthatyoureholdingon.Thatswhen
youletgooutofgenuinestrength.Whenyouletgointhatway,youfindthat
theressomethingdeepdowninthemindthatsconstant,totallyfreefromstress,
beyondeventheissuesofselfandnotselfsomethingthatcantbeaffectedby
thewindorwavesatall.
Theimageinthetextsisofastonepostsixteenspanstall,plantedintothe
solidrockofamountain.Eightspansareburiedintherock;eightspansare
aboveground.Nomatterwhichdirectionthewindcomesfrom,itcantmakethe
postshakeatall.Butuntilyoucangettothatpoint,useyourpostattheedgeof
theocean.Itmaygetknockedovernowandthen,butyouknowwellenough
onceitsknockedoverhowtoplantitdowninthesandagain.Evenjustthis
muchcanhelpyouthroughalot.Itcanhelpeliminatealotofsufferingeven
beforeyoucometotheendofsuffering.Andthatsquiteanaccomplishment
rightthere.
57

58

TheBuddhaDidntPlayGotcha

August28,2007

SometimeswhenyouheartheBuddhasteachingsexplained,itsalmostasif
hesplayinggotcha.Hetalksaboutjhanatheease,therapturethatcancome
fromconcentrationbutthenyouretoldthatifyoutrytoattainjhana,youre
notgoingtogetthere.Oronceyougetthere,youhavetobeverycarefulnotto
getattachedtoit.Itsdangerous,soyoushouldntdoittoomuch.Similarlywith
nibbana:Weretoldthatnibbanasthehighestease,thehighesthappiness,and
yetifyouwantit,youcantgetit.Itslikehesdanglingthesethingsinfrontof
youandtauntingyou,sayingyoucanthavethem.
Thatsnotthewayhetaughtatall.Theeaseandpleasurethatcomefrom
jhana,hesaid,aretotallyblameless.AshewasstrugglingtofindAwakening,he
spentsixyearspracticingdifferentausteritiesandfinallyrealizedthatausterities
wereadeadend.Sothequestionarose:Isthereanalternativeway?Hethought
ofthetimewhenhewasachildsittingunderatreewhilehisfatherwas
plowing,andhismindenteredthefirstjhana.Soheaskedhimself:WhyamI
afraidofthatpleasure?WhyamIafraidofthatrapture?Isthereanything
blameworthyaboutit?Anythingharmfulaboutit?Andtheanswerhecameup
withisNo.Afterall,itsapleasurethatcanarisesimplybyfocusingyourmind
onthebreath.Yourenotharminganyoneatall.Andinfollowingthispleasure,
yourenotgettingintoxicatedwithyouthorhealthorlifeortheotherthingsthat
intoxicatethemind.Soitsagoodpleasuretopursue.
Inthisway,jhanawasthefirstfactorofthepaththattheBuddharealizedin
hisquestforAwakening.Andaswithalltheotherfactorsofthepath,hesaidits
somethingtobedeveloped.Sowhenstatesofeaseandpleasureariseinyour
meditation,trytodevelopthem.Trytomasterthemasaskill.
Asimilarprincipleappliestonibbana.Thepathtonibbanadoesinclude
desire,eventhoughnibbanaitselfistheendingofalldesire.Ifyouhadtodrop
alldesireinordertogetonthepath,nibbanaitselfwouldbethepathtonibbana.
Thatwouldputyouinadoublebind.Butthepathactuallyincludesdesire.On
theonehand,theresrightresolve.Theresolvetoovercomeattachmentto
sensuality,theresolvetobeharmless,theresolvenottofeelillwill:Theseareall
typesofdesire.Andevenmoreexplicitly,thefactorofrighteffortstartsout
whenyougeneratedesirefordoingawaywithunskillfulqualitiesandmaking**
59
suretheydontariseagain.Yougeneratedesiretogiverisetoskillfulqualities
andbringthemtotheculminationoftheirdevelopment.Inotherwords,the
desireherefocusesprimarilyonthepath.Nibbanaitselfisbeyondskillfuland
unskillful,butthefactorsofthepath,suchasrightmindfulnessandright
concentration,areskillfulqualitiesyouwanttodevelop,togiveriseto,andthen
bringtotheculminationoftheirpotential.
SotheBuddhaisaverystraightforwardteacher.Hepointsoutthatthereare
goodthingsinthepathanditsokaytodesirethem,simplythatyourdesire
shouldbemature.Immaturedesireisthekindthatwantstogettheresults
withoutputtingintheeffort,orfocusessoexclusivelyontheresultsthatyou
neglecttheeffort.AstheBuddhasaid,youfocusonthecauses,andwhenthe
causesareripe,theyyieldtheresults.Throughdevelopingthepath,youcometo
realizethecessationofsuffering.Soyoufocusonthepathandthegoaltakescare
ofitself.
Sometimesyoumayhearthatthepathandthegoalareone.Andtheoneway
inwhichthatteachingmakessenseisifyourealizethatinthedoingofthepath,
thegoalgetsrealized.Inotherwords,yourenotsupposedtosittherejustgoing
throughthemotionsofthepath,passingthetimesaying,Whenisthegoal
goingtoappear?i.e.,doingthepathbutwithoneeyesomeplaceelse.You
focusyourattentiontotallyondevelopingthepath.Andindevelopingthepath,
therealizationoftheendofsufferingappearsrightthere.
Sofocusonbringingthemindtostillness.Ifthemindhasntyetcometo
stillness,askyourself:Whatsgettingintheway?Useyouringenuity.Itsnotjust
amatterofdesire.Youusedesire,youusepersistence,youuseyourintent,as
youreallyfocusonwhatyouredoing.Andyouuseyourpowersofanalysisand
ingenuity,figuringoutwhatsgoingwrong,whatsnotworkingrighthere,what
distractionsaregettingintheway.Youbringallofthesebasesofsuccesstobear
onwhatyouredoing.Buttheyallstartwithdesire.
Therearelotsofgoodreasonstowanttobringthemindtoconcentration,not
onlyforyourownsake,butforthesakeofotherpeopleaswell.Ifyour
happinessismoreinwardlybased,youneedlessandlessfromtheoutside
world.Now,astheBuddhasaid,inordertoattainstrongstatesofconcentration,
thebodyneedstobenourished.Youneedacertainlevelofcomfortforthemind
tosettledown.Butitsnotthatmuch.Themorereliableyourconcentrationgets,
theeasieritistomakedowithlessandlessoutside.Youreplacinglessofa
burdenonotherpeople.Yourecompetingwiththemless.
Thatmeansyoucantreatthemmorefairly.Youcangointoasituationand
baseyouractions,yourwords,andyourthoughtstotallyongoodwilland
compassionbecauseyourealizeyoudontneedanythingfromthosepeople.
Itswhenyouneedsomethingfromothersthatyouractionsaretiltedintermsof
60
biasorprejudice:intermsofthingsyoudesire,thingsthatirritateyou,things
youredeludedabout,orthingsyoufear.Thisisbecauseyourhopesfor
happinessarefocusedonsomethingoutside.Butwhenyourdesireforhappiness
isfocusedinwardly,youplacelessofaburdenonthingsoutside.Youneedless
fromtheoutsideworld,whichmeansyourcompassionforotherpeoplecanbe
moreclearheaded,balanced,andfair.
Inthisway,thepursuitofhappinessthroughdevelopingstrong
concentrationforthepursuitoftotalfreedomisnotaselfishthing.Aslongas
yourconcentrationisimbuedwiththeotherfactorsofthepathrightview,right
resolve,rightspeech,rightaction,rightlivelihood,righteffort,right
mindfulnessitsperfectlysafe.Theysometimestalkaboutgettingstuckon
concentrationorbecomingaconcentrationjunkie,butthosearecaseswherethe
concentrationlackstheotherelementsofthepath.Yourunderstandingofwhy
theressufferingintheworldisskewed,oryourunderstandingofwhyyoure
sufferingisskewed.Youspendallyourtimejustfocusingonyourbreathand
notwantingtodoanythingforanyoneelseanywhere,notwantingtobe
botheredbytheworld.
Youhavetorealizethatitsnottheworldthatsbotheringyou;youre
botheringtheworldwith**yourdemands.Aweaknessinyourconcentration
andaweaknessinyourdiscernmentmakeyouthinkthatway.Ifyour
concentrationisreallysolid,youcanstayinallkindsofdifficultsituationsand
maintainyourbalance.Orevenifyougetknockedoffbalanceintheareaswhere
yourestillattached,youcangetbackintobalancealotmoreeasilyifyouvegot
rightviewandtheotherelementsofthepath.
Sothedangersofconcentrationcomewhenitspursuedtotheexclusionof
theotherfactorsofthepath.Butrightconcentration,beingfocusedinthis
presentmomentwithfullbodyawareness,asenseofeaseandrapturethatthen
shadesintoequanimity:Thatsavaluableskill.Therearegreaterdangersinthe
path,suchasthedangerofgettingteacherswhosay,Well,youcantgain
concentrationoryoushouldnttry.Thatsprettydangerous.Orotherteachers
whotellyouyouveattainedsomelevelofAwakeningwhenyouhaventyet.
Holdingontotheirestimationofthingsisextremelydangerous,becauseit
makesyoucomplacent.Itreallyblocksthepath.
Butifyoustayinrightconcentrationimbuedwithrightmindfulnessand
rightview,itsintheconcentrationthatyoustartseeingthestressofclingingto
theaggregates.WhattheBuddhadoes,basically,istoteachyouhowtotake
theseaggregateswhichwenormallyclingtoinanunskillfulwayandlearn
howtoclingtotheminamoreskillfulway,pointingoutthat,Yes,itispossible
toattainhappinesshere.Asyougetmoreandmoresensitizedtothegrosser
sufferingoutside,yourhopesforhappinessgetmoreandmorefocusedonthe
61
concentration.Whentheyretotallyfocusedhereandhavegottengoodresults,
youcanstarttakingtheconcentrationapart,realizingthateventhissourceof
happinessiscomposedofaggregates.Itstillhasapotentialforbeinginconstant.
Stressful.Notself.Thatspursyoutolookforsomethingdeeper.Butitputsyou
inthepositionwhereyoucanseethatsomethingdeepermoreclearlyaswell.
Inotherwords,yourtasteforhappinesshasgrownmorerefined.Repeatedly,
theBuddhatalksaboutanalyzingtheconcentrationinandofitself,seeingwhat
intheconcentrationisform,feeling,perception,thoughtfabrication,or
consciousness.Yourealizethatevenwhenyouletgoofoutsideaggregates,or
thegrosseraggregates,therearestillthesesubtleraggregatesinside.Itsright
herethattheworkcanbedone.
SotheBuddhasteachingsareverystraightforward.Here,hesays,isabetter,
safer,moreblamelessformofhappiness.Goforit.Asyoumasterit,youfind
thereareevendeeperlevelsofhappiness,ultimatelytoalevelthatstotally
unconditioned.Butitsokaytodesirethesethings.Itsokaytomakeaneffortin
thesedirections.Itsthroughthedesire,throughtheeffort,thatyougetthere.So
welearnhowtotakethatdesireandfocusitintherightplaceonthepath,on
thecausesandtheresultswillcome.Thatsaboutasstraightforwardasyoucan
get.

62

SeeingwiththeBody

January6,2006

OneoftheBuddhasessentialinsightswasthatthesufferingthatreally
weighsdownthemindisasufferingwecreateanditsunnecessary.Even
thoughwecreateitandwesufferfromit,weclingtoit.Thishassome
unexpectedimplications.Oneisthatforalotofus,ifwedidntsuffer,wewould
belost.Eventhesimpleideaofnotsufferingwouldleaveushanging.Thisis
becauseourstrongestsenseofwhoweareoftencomesfrombeingtreated
unjustly.Wedefineourselvesthroughthesufferingthatcomesfrombeing
treatedunjustly.Ifweweretodenyourselvesthatperversepleasure,wedfeel
lost.Butwhenotherpeopletreatusunjustly,westarttreatingourselvesunjustly.
Whenotherpeoplecriticizeusunfairly,westartcriticizingourselvesunfairly.
Wesufferfromallofthis,butwewouldfeellostwithoutthesenseofself
providedbythatunfairness.Themindcanbereallyperverse.
Toworkaroundthisproblem,theBuddhahasusfocussimplyonthe
problemofsufferingwithoutaskingwhoscausingthis,orwhoyouare,orwhat
youhavetodotoyoursenseofselftomakeitbetter.Hesays,Justlookatthe
sufferinginandofitself.Thatsimportant:theinandofitself.Thathelpsget
yououtoftheentanglementsthatcomefromyourclingingtoyoursuffering.
Whenyoucanlookatthesethingsaseventssimplyontheirownterms,simply
asapatternofcauseandeffectwithoutaskinghowyoureinvolvedinit,when
youcansimplyseethefactofsufferingasitsbeingcaused,thenyouseethe
connectiontoitscause.Yourealizethatyoudonthavetoengageinthecause.
Thathelpsloosenupyourattachmenttothesuffering.
Soitsimportanttounderstandthisprocess:thatyoureclingingto,
identifyingwith,theverythingsthatcauseyoutosuffer.Eventhoughthats
whatdefinesyou,itssimplyadefinitionyouveimposedonthings.Youdont
reallyneedittofunction.Youdontreallyhavetoworryaboutbeingannihilated
ifyoustopthesuffering.
Formanypeoplethatsascaryidea,becausetheconnectionbetweentheirself
andtheirsufferingissostrong.ThisiswhytheBuddhafocusesyoubackonjust
thesufferinginandofitself.Dontaskwhosdoingthis.Dontaskhowyoure
involvedinit.Justask,Whatshappeninghere?Lookatthingsinandof
themselvesasevents,asprocesses.
63
Startwiththebreathinandofitself.Thatsprettyneutral.Andaskyourself,
Whatsgoingonintheprocessofbreathing?Youbreatheinuntilbreathingin
startsgettinguncomfortable.Thenyoubreatheoutuntilbreathingoutstarts
gettinguncomfortable.Thenyoustartbreathingbackinagain.Yourebouncing
backandforthbetweenthediscomfortoftoomuchinandtoomuchout.Yetyou
needtobreathe.Ifyoutriedtostopbreathingbyholdingyourbreath,thatwould
bepainfultoo.Youvegottobreathe,yetitsbreathingbetweenoneextremeof
breathingouttoolong,andtheotherextremeofbreathingintoolong.The
breathisanimpersonalprocess,somethingyoucanwatchinandofitself,andit
teachesyoualessonaboutsufferinginandofitself.
Fortunatelyforustherearenottoomanyelaboratetheoriesaboutthedeeper
meaningofbreath.Justthefact:Thebreathisnowcomingin;thebreathisnow
goingout.Youcantwatchyourfuturebreaths;youcantwatchyourpast
breaths.Youvejustgotthepresentbreath.Anditsimpersonal.Youknowthat
everybodyhasthesamebreathing.Yousimplyaskthequestionofwhetherit
feelsgoodornot.Thatsallyouvegottoaskrightnow.Asforotherlarger
issues,youcanputthemaside.Getusedtodealingjustonthislevel,the
immediateexperienceofthebreath,inandofitself.
Indoingthat,youhelptodepersonalizetheissueofsuffering.Fromthis
pointyoucanbegintospreadyourattentiontootherproblemsthatneed
depersonalizingaswell.Butmakesureyouvegotthisfoundationstrong.
Simplystaywiththeissueofhowthebreathiscomingin,howthebreathis
goingout.Areyouenjoyingit?Eventhoughthebreathmovesbetweentwo
differenttypesofpain,ifyouadjustitproperlyyoucanmaketheexperienceof
thebreathinbetween,thefeelofthebreathinbetween,reallygratifyingasit
feelsgoodcomingin,comingin,downtothelungs,downtotheabdomen.Itcan
feelrefreshing,gratifying.Andjustthatfactofhowitfeelsinthepresent
moment,withoutyourhavingtogetinvolvedinthoughtsofidentity,the
narrativesofyourlife,yourworldviews:Getusedtolookingatthingssimplyon
thislevel,justtheexperienceinandofitself.
Thisgivesyouanewfoundation.Yougetintouchwiththeability,inthe
midstofthepotentialforpain,tomakethepresentmomentpleasant.Andits
notthreatening.Itsgratifying.Youshiftyourcenterofgravityawayfromthe
senseofselfthatneedstosufferinordertomaintainitsidentity,toadifferent
senseofself:onebasedonasenseofpleasure,combinedwithagreatersenseof
competence.Youredevelopingaskillandyouseetheresultsimmediately.This
newcenterofgravitythenactsasthefulcrumfromwhichyoucanpryloose
yourotherattachments,theoldwaysofidentifyingyourself.
Theyvedonestudiesofpeoplegoingthroughpsychotherapy,tryingto
figureoutwhichmethodJungian,Freudian,orwhateverworksbest.And
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theyvediscoveredthattheactualmethoddoesntmakeallthatmuchdifference.
Whatdoesmakeadifferenceistheabilityofthepatienttogetinsidehisorher
body,tofullyinhabitthebody,andthenfromthatstandpointtoworkthrough
whateverissuesthereareinthemind.Thisiswhatyouredoingasyouwork
withthebreath.Youregettingintothebody,gettingmoresensitivetothebody,
creatinganewcenterofgravityforyourself,anewareaofsensitivity.
AlotoftheBuddhisttexts,whentheytalkabouttheknowledgeyougain
frommeditation,expressitasaformofvision,somethingyousee.Youre
workingtowardknowledgeandvision,theysay.Thefirstexperienceof
AwakeningistheopeningoftheDhammaEye.FullAwakeningcomeswith
knowledgeandvisionofthingsastheyhavecometobe.Buttherearealso
passagesthatdescribethisknowledgeassomethingsensednotthroughtheinner
eye,butthroughthebody.Alltheteachingsaboutjhanaareconcernedwith
gainingasenseofeaseandwellbeingfromthebreathandthenallowingitto
permeatethewholebody.Someofthetextstalkabouttouchingthevarious
formlessdimensionsthatcanbeaccessedthroughjhana,touchingthemwith
yourbody.Oneofthetextssaysthatthosewhopracticejhanatouchthe
deathlesswiththebody.AndoneoftheversesintheDhammapadasaysthat
youseetheDhammawiththebody.TheSuttaNipatadescribestheBuddhaas
theAllaroundEye:Hiswholebodywasanorganofvision,anorganofsight.
Sooneofthethingswewanttodoaswepracticeistogetoutofourheads
wherewehaveallthesenotionsaboutwhoweareandhowwerelatetoother
people,howwehavetomaintainouridentity,whichiscenteredonsuffering,in
thefaceoftheonslaughtsoftheworldoutsideandlearnhowtofullyinhabit
thebody.Asweinhabitit,thebodyitselfbecomesanorganofvision,anorgan
ofsight.Youseethingsgoingoninthebodyyoudidntseebefore.Youre
sensitizethebody.Asameditatoryouworkfromanewcenterofgravitysothat
whenyoustarttakingapartyourhabitsofcreatingyoursenseofselfthehabits
thatmakeyousufferbutthatyouclingtosotightlyitsalotlessthreatening.
Youdontfeelthatyouregoingtobeobliteratedbytheprocess.Takingapart
theseoldhabitsbecomessomethingyoureallyliketodo,becauseyourelooking
fromanotherpointofview.Yourelookingfromthepointofviewoffullbody
awareness,fullbodycompetence.
Thisiswhyitssoimportanttogetintouchwiththebreathandtolearnto
breathewiththewholebody:wholebodybreathingin,wholebodybreathing
out.Itdevelopsasensitivityandafoundationyouneedtodosomereallyradical
workonhowthemindiscausingitselftosuffer,andhowyoucanuprootallthe
waysthatcauseyoutosuffer.Itsonlyfromthisdifferentpointofviewthatthe
workcanactuallybedone.
65

Oneness

August2,2007

Once,whenAjaanSuwatwashere,heaskedmetogivetheDhammatalkin
Thai.IhadbeentranslatingAjaanLee,soIusedoneofAjaanLeesimages:
comparingthepracticetodiggingawell.Generositywaslikeaveryshallow
well,virtueadeeperwell,whereasconcentrationwasawelldowntothewater
table.AfterwardshetoldmethattheDhammatalkhadbeentoointeresting.It
wasdistractingpeoplefromtheirmeditation.
Sodontlistentome.Focusonyourbreath.Thetalkishereinthe
backgroundtocatchyouifyouwanderawayfromthebreath,likethecatcherin
therye.Imstandingattheedgeofacliffincasethoseofyouwhoarerunning
aroundintheryearentreallylookingatwhatyouredoing.IfIseethatyoure
headingtotheedgeofthecliff,Imheretocatchyou,tomakesureyoudontfall
awayfromyourmeditationobject.
Oryoucanthinkofthetalkasafence.Whenyoustartleavingthemeditation
object,thefirstthingyoullrunintoisthefenceformedbythesoundofthetalk.
Thatstoremindyoutogoback.Theworddesana,thewordweusuallytranslate
asDhammatalk,actuallymeanspointing.Andthetalkisheretopointyou
backtothebreath,backtoyourpresentawareness,tomakesureyoudontgo
wanderingoff.Trytostaywiththebreath.Beonewithyourmeditation.
TherearetwowordswithoneintheBuddhasdescriptionsofjhana.Oneis
ekaggata,asinekaggatarammana,onenessofpreoccupation,orsinglenessof
preoccupation;andekaggatacitta,singlenessofmind.Thiskindofonenessapplies
toalllevelsofjhana.Itmeansbeingfocusedononething,likethebreath.You
staysteadilyfocusedonit,atthesametimemakingittheonethingfillingyour
rangeofawareness.
Soyoustartouttryingtodothat.Butinthebeginning,therearetwoones.
Theresthemindawareofthebreath,evaluatingthebreath,commentingonthe
breath.Thatsonething.Andthentheresthebreath.Onesubject,oneobject,and
youwanttokeepbothofthemoneintheirownways.Youwanttomakesure
thattheonetopicofyourinnerconversationisthebreath.Asforotherthings
thathavebeengoingoninthecourseoftheday,youdonttalkaboutthem.
Dontgoslippingoffintothepast,slippingoffintothefuture,wonderingabout
whatyouregoingtodotomorrow,whatyouregoingtodoattheendofthe
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meditation,orhowmuchlongeryouhavetomeditatehere.Thatsintroducing
othertopicsofconversation.Andthemindneverreallysettlesdown.
Sojustkeepthetopicofconversationononething,onthebreath,and
evaluatehowitsgoing.Whatkindofbreathwouldyouliketobreatheright
now?Youreperfectlyfreetochoose.Youmaynotbeabletothinkaboutother
thingsrightnow,buttheyreofftheagenda.Theydontreallymatterrightnow.
Whenthebreathistheoneitemontheagenda,youcangiveityourfullattention
andyouretotallyfreetoexploreit.Whatkindofbreathingwouldreallyfeel
goodrightnowinyourstomach?Letthebodybreathethatway.Focusonyour
stomachforawhileandseewhatkindofbreathingreallyfeelsgoodthere.What
kindofbreathingfeelsgoodgoingdownyourbackbone?Whatkindofbreathing
feelsgoodinyourlegs?Youmaynotyetbeabletobreathewithyourlegs,but
thereisabreathenergythatcanflowdownthroughthelegs.Seewhatrhythmof
breathingkeepsthatbreathenergyalive,awake.
AjaanLeetalksaboutusingyourawarenessofthebreathtowakeupthe
differentpropertiesofyourbody.Thisiswhathemeans:havingasensethat
theresanenergyflowingthroughyourlegs,flowingthroughyourarms,all
aroundyourhead,allthedifferentpartsofyourbody,outtothefingersand
toes,likeanelectriccurrent.Thereisevenanenergy,ifyourereallysensitive,
thatsurroundsyourbody.Canyoubesensitivetothat?Andwhatkindof
breathingmakesthosedifferentpartsofthebodyfeelgood?Gothroughthe
bodyandtellyourselfthatyourebreathingspecificallyforyourstomachfora
while,sowhatkindofbreathingwouldfeelgoodrightthere?Ifthestomach
couldspeak,whatkindofbreathwoulditaskfor?Thenbreathespecificallyfor
thesakeofyourchest:Whatkindofbreathingwouldfeelgoodinyourchest?
Andsoonthroughtherestofthebody:intheshoulder,inthebackofyour
shoulders,betweenyourshoulderblades,inthesmallofyourback,inyourhips,
inyourlegs,inyourtoes,inyoureyes.Thentrytobeawareofthebreathinthe
wholebody.Thisishowthebreath,theobjectofyourconversation,becomes
one:Itfillstherangeofyourawareness.Thinkofthewholebodybreathingin,
breathingout,andletthewholebodybreathflowascomfortablyasyoucan.
Then,afterawhile,whenyouvebeenevaluatingthebreath,anditreally
feelsgoodasyourebreathingin,breathingout,therecomesapointwhereyou
donthavetoevaluateitanymore.AsAjaanFuangoncesaid,asyoufillupthe
breathenergyinthebodyitslikefillingupwaterinajar.Therecomesapoint
wherethejarofwaterhereweretalkingaboutthosebigjarsthattheyusedto
lineupalongthesidesofhousesinThailandtocatchrainwaterofftheroof,
enormousjars,sometimesbiggerthanaperson:Afterawhilethejarissofullof
waterthatnomatterhowmuchmorewateryoupourintoit,itcantholdany
more.Theexcessjustflowsout.
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Thesameprincipleholdswiththebreath.Yougettoapointwherethebreath
energyfeelsfullthroughoutthebody.Thelegsfeelfull,thearmsfeelfullwitha
pleasantbuzzofenergy.Theyfeelenergized.Awake.Andyoudontneedtodo
anymoreevaluation,fortheyreasfullastheyregoingtoget.Yourenowfreeto
justdiveintothebreath.
Thisiswheretheotherwordforonenessinthedescriptionsofjhana,ekodi
bhava,comesintoplay.Ekodibhavameansunification.Itstartsatthesecond
jhana.Theonenessofyourawarenessandtheonenessofthebreathbecomea
singleoneness,totallyunified.Youdontholdanythingback.Thatsenseofthe
observer,whichissometimeslikeananimalperchedonyourshoulders,looking
throughyoureyes,lookingatthebreathindifferentpartsofthebody:Youwant
toobliteratethesensethatthatobserverisseparatefromthebreath.Soyou
breatheintotheobserver.Thinkingofthebreathenergyinyoureyesisespecially
helpfulhere,increatingasenseofbeingone.Manyofourideasofsubject/object
dichotomiescomefromoursenseofsighttheobjectsoutthere,theeyeisin
here,andtheydonttouch.Onegoodwayoferasingthatdichotomyistofocus
onthebreathenergyflowinyoureyes.Thebreathisrightthere;theeyesare
rightthereinthesameplace.Theresnodividinglinebetweenthem.
Thishelpstoinduceasensethatawarenessisfullyonewiththebreath;the
breathisfullyonewiththeawareness.Thenyousimplymaintainthat.Any
thoughtthatspillsoutfromthat,youdontwant.Totallythrowyourselfintothe
breath.Theresnothingelseyouhavetodo,nowhereelseyouhavetogo,
nothingthathasanyneedtopullyouaway.
AjaanLeemakesthecommentthatthisbreath,ifyouretotallyimmersedin
it,willtakeyouthroughallthelevelsofjhana,uptothefourth.Thedifferenceis
simplyamatterofhowsteadyyouareinstayingonewiththebreath,andof
howstillthebreathgrowsinresponse.AjaanFuangnotedthatthissenseoftotal
onenessorunificationwiththeobjectcantakeyouallthewayuptothe
dimensionoftheinfinitudeofconsciousness.Itssimplyamatterofthe
perceptionyouholdinmind.Afterthefourthjhana,youdroptheperceptionof
theformofthebodythestillbreathallowsyoutodothisandyoucanfocus
onthesenseofspacepermeatingthemistofsensationsthatremains.Afterthat
perceptionofspaceisunwavering,youturntofocusonwhatsawareofthe
space.Thatputsyouintothedimensionoftheinfinitudeofconsciousness.Toget
beyondthat,tothedimensionofnothingness,youhavetodroptheoneness.But
thesetacticsworkonlyafterthissenseoftotalonenessisdevelopedandstrong.
Ittakessomeenergytodothis.Youvegottothrowallyourenergyinto
beingonewiththebreath.Butyoufindthatbygivingallyourenergy,yougeta
lotofenergyback.Thatswheneverythinginthebodyisreallyawake.Your
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senseofawarenesspermeateseverycell.Thebreathpermeateseverycell.It
flowssowellthattheinandoutbreathcangrowmoreandmorestill.
Thisiswhenyourpreoccupationwiththeobjectofyourmeditationreally
doesbecomeone,notsimplyinthesensethatitstheonethingyouretalking
abouttoyourself.Actually,yourenottalkingaboutitmuchanymore.Youre
justinwithit.Anditfillsthewholerangeofyourawareness.
Whenyoudothis,youfindthatanymovementofmentalchatterinthemind
becomesveryobvious.Whenyouseeit,justdropit,dropit,dropit.Whenalittle
stirringhappensinyourawareness,zapitbeforeyouevenknowwhatitsgoing
totalkabout.Thisisnotthetimeforchatter.Youvegotsomethingmuchbetter
goingonhere.Themindissnugwiththebreathlikeahandinsideaglove,
totallysurroundedinthebreath.Thebreathhasyousurroundedonallsides.
Yourenotpullingbacktowatchitfromoutside.Youretotallyimmersedinit.
TouseaphrasefromthePali,thisiskayagatasati:Yourmindfulnessisimmersed
inthebody,yourawarenessistotallysurroundedbythebreath,totally
surroundedbythebody.
Onceyoucandothis,justtrytomaintainitinaverybalancedstate.Partof
themindmightobject:Thisisstupid.Yourenotthinkingaboutanything.But
thatspreciselythepoint:Youdonthavetothinkaboutanything.Themind
needsthisopportunitytorest,togainenergy.AjaanLeecomparesthistoputting
aknifeinascabbard.Youwanttomakesurethatyourknifeissharpwhenyou
needit,soyouhavetoprotectit.Putitinsomethingthatkeepsitsnugand
protectedonallsides.Whenyouneedittocutsomething,youtaketheknifeout
ofthescabbard.Becauseitssharp,itcancutrightthroughthings.Butinthe
meantime,youvegottokeepyourmindwellprotected,wellenergized.Thisis
whenthemindentersintofixedpenetrationinaverystrongandsolidway.This
istheheartofthepath.Theotherfactorswillcomeoutofthisandsurround
thisor,astheBuddhasays,supportthis.Butthisonenessofthemindwithits
objectisthecenterfromwhicheverythingelsehappens.
AjaanLeetalksaboutthisasthepointwhereallfourframesofreferencethe
bodyinandofitself,feelingsinandofthemselves,themindinandofitself,
mentalqualitiesinandofthemselvesallbecomeone.Youcouldlookatthis
senseofonenessasanyoneofthefour.Fromoneperspectiveitsbody,from
anotheritsfeeling,ormind,ormentalqualities.Buttheyreallhereinthesame
place.Ifyouwanttoseetheactualdistinctionsamongthemyouhavetobring
themtogetherfirst.Ifyoudrawlinesaroundthembeforemakingthemone,the
linestendtocomemorefromyourignorancethanfromgenuineknowledge.But
ifyoumakethemone,thenwhentheyfinallydoseparateout,itsnotbecause
youtriedtoprythemapart.AjaanLeesanalogyisofheatingapieceofrock
containingdifferentkindsofore.Youheatittoacertaintemperature,andthe
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silvermeltsout;atanothertemperature,thegoldmeltsout;atanother
temperature,thetinalloftheirownaccord.Inotherwords,yourenotdividing
thingsupintermsofyourpreconceivednotions.Instead,youputtheenergyof
thisonenessintothebreath,tomakeeverythingone.Thatswhenthingsare
allowedtoseparateinanaturalway,inwaysthatyoumaynothaveexpected.
Butinthemeantime,keeptryingtomakethemone.Getreallygoodatthis.
Thisisanessentialskillinthemeditation.Asfortheinsightthatwillarisefrom
this,youdonthavetoworryaboutit,atleastnotyet.Justmakesurethe
foundationissolid.
70

TheSkillofRestraint

December20,2007

Peopleoftenaskhowtobringthepracticeintodailylife.Theansweris
relativelysimple.Itsonemanypeopledontliketohear,butitissimple:
restraint.Therearebasicallytwokindsofrestraint.Theresrestraintinwhatyou
do,andrestraintinhowyoulookandlistenandsmellandtasteandfeeland
thinkaboutthingsinotherwords,restraintinwhatgoesout,andrestraintin
whatcomesin.Andbothkindsofrestraintrequireagoodamountofskill.
Takerestraintofthesenses:Theresaskilltolooking,askilltolistening.You
wanttolookatthingsinsuchawaythatyourenotexcitinggreed,anger,or
delusion.Youwanttolistentothingsinsuchawaythatyoudontexcitegreed,
anger,ordelusion.Andsoondownthroughthesenses.Thisisaskill.Youwant
tobeabletodoitinsuchawaythatyoudontstarveyourselfofpleasurestothe
pointwhereyoubreakdownandsuddenlyfindyourselfinfrontofanopen
refrigerator,scarfingdownagallonoficecream.Youneedtoknowhowtokeep
themindwellfedevenasyourestarvingyourdefilements.Inmasteringthis
skill,ithelpstohaveconcentrationasafoundation.Thetextsoftengiverestraint
ofthesensesasaprerequisiteforconcentration,butasissooftenthecaseinthe
Buddhasteachings,thetwoqualitiesactuallyhelpeachotheralong.
Trytonoticewhenyoulookatsomething:Doesyourattentiongoflowing
out?Doyouloseyoursenseofthebody?Ifyoudo,itsasignthatyourlooking
isntallthatskillful.Youwanttobeabletostayinthebodyasyoulook,asyou
listen,tomaintainyoursenseofthebreathenergythroughoutthebody.Ifyou
cant,thatsasigneitherthatyourelookingforthepurposeofforgettingthe
bodyinotherwords,yourelookingforthepurposeofgreed,anger,or
delusionoryouresimplycareless,andthesight,thesound,thesmell,orthe
taste,whatever,happenedtocatchyouoffguard.
Thatshowmostpeoplelookandlistenandsmellandtasteandfeelandthink
aboutthings.Theyforgettheirinnercenterandsuddenlyfindthemselves
centeredoutside,tryingtogetsomepleasurefromgrabbingontoasightora
soundandthenelaboratingoniteithertomakeitmoreattractiveortomakeit
seemmoremeaningfulthanitactuallyis.Ifthemindisinamoodforalittlebit
ofanger,youfocusonthethingsthatwouldprovoketheangerandthenyoucan
elaborateonit,proliferateasmuchasyoulike.
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Thosearewhereourskillstendtobe.Weregreatatproliferating.Butifyou
thinkofinputatthesensesasakindoffoodforthemindwhichishowthe
Buddhaseesityouhavetoaskyourself:Areyoupreparinggoodfoodforthe
mindorjunkfood?Orpoisonousfood?Thatsthekindofcookingwereusedto.
Wethinkwerecookingupgreatmeals,buttheycanmakeussick.Soyouvegot
tolearnanewwaytocookforthemind.
TheBuddhacountssensoryinputamongthefourfoodsforconsciousness.It
actuallyincludesthreeofthefour:contactatthesenses;intentionsatthe
senseswhyyourelookingatthesethings,listeningtothesethingstobegin
with;andthenconsciousnessoftheactofsensing.Thesethreeaspectsofsensory
inputarewhatthemindisfeedingonallthetime.
Thebasicskillinlearningnewwaystocookthisfoodistofocusonthebreath
andgetthemindcenteredinside.Youreactuallychangingthelevelofthemind
whenitsinsidethebodyinthisway.Insteadofbeingonthesensuallevel,its
suddenlyonthelevelofform,whichisahigherlevelthanthelevelofsensual
desire.Eventhoughtheremaybethedesiretostayhereatthelevelofform,itsa
skillfuldesirebecauseitraisesthelevelofthemind.Yourenotsodependenton
thingsoutsideforyourhappiness,soyoureinapositionwhereyoucanlookat
sensualpleasuresfromabove.
Atthesametime,yourelearninghowtomakethemostofwhatyouve
alreadygot.AsAjaanLeesays,itslikelearninghowtogrowfoodonyourown
propertyratherthaninvadingthepropertyofotherstoplantcropsontheirland.
Learnhowtodevelopasenseofease,asenseoffullnessandrefreshmentright
hereinthebody.Makethatyourfood.Trytopreserveandprotectthatlevelof
themind.Thatstheskillinhowyoulookatthingsandlistentothings:
maintainingthissenseofthecenterinthebody,asenseofease,refreshment,and
fullnessnomatterwhathappensoutside.Thatputsthemindonahigherplane
andinamuchbetterposition.
Whenyouhandlerestraintofthesensesinthisway,yourenotdeprivingthe
mind.Youresimplylearninghowtogivethemindbetterfood,tonourishitina
healthierway,awaythatstotallyblameless.Sometimesyouhearpeopletalking
aboutthedangersofgettingattachedtojhana,asifitwereahugemonster
waitingtoambushyouonthesideofthepath.Butthedangersofjhanaare
relativelyminor.Thedangersofbeingstuckonthesensuallevel,though,are
huge.Whenyourhappinessisdependentonsensorypleasuresbeingacertain
way,itcanleadtoallsortsofunskillfulbehaviorasyoutrytokeeponfeeding
themindthekindofsights,sounds,etc.,itlikes.Thisiswhyweseesomuch
killingandstealing,illicitsex,lying,gettingdrunkaroundusintheworld.All
thepreceptsgetbrokenbecauseofpeoplesattachmenttothepleasuresofthe
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senses.Youdontseeanybodykillingorstealingbecauseoftheirattachmentto
jhana.
Soeventhoughthisisanattachment,itsabetterone.Andwhenyour
happinessisnotdependentonthingsoutsidebeingacertainway,peopleoutside
havelesspoweroveryou.Weseethissomuchthesedays.Alltheyhavetodois
wavetheredflag:Theresdangeroutthere;thereareterroristsoutthere;they
canharmus.Wevegottodoallkindsofevilthingstostopthem.Thatswhat
theytellus.Ifthemindsonlynourishmentisthingsoutside,youregoingtobe
swayedbythosearguments.Butwhenyoucanstepback,andsay,No,Ivegot
asourceofpleasure,asourceofhappinessinside,thatpeopleoutsidecant
touch,thenyouremuchlesslikelytobeledastray.
Inthisway,yourabilitytofindnourishmentinsideisprotectionforthemind.
Thepleasuresoftheworldoutsideholdalotlesspoisonbecauseyourenot
tryingtofeedonthemanymore.Theyrestillthere,butyoucanlearnhowto
handlethemmoreskillfully,usethemmoreskillfully,asyoutrytomakethe
mindevenstronger.
Forinstance,therewillbetimesinyourmeditationwhenthingsarentgoing
aswellasyoudlike.Incaseslikethat,itcanbehelpfultogooutsideandlookat
thebeautyofnaturearoundyoutheclouds,thesunset,themoonandthestars
atnighttohelpclearandrefreshyourmind.TherearepassagesintheCanon
whereMahaKassapa,whowasoneofthestrictestandsternestoftheBuddhas
disciples,talksaboutthebeautyofnature.Theconstantrefraininhisversesisof
howthehills,themountainsbathedinrain,andthejunglerefreshhim.Someof
thefirstwildernesspoetryintheworldisinthePaliCanonanappreciationof
thebeautiesofnotjustnaturebutofwildnature.Thatsortofappreciationispart
oftheskillinlearninghowtogladdenthemind.
Whatthiscomesdowntoisthat,astheBuddhasaid,evensomethingas
simpleaslookingorlisteningcanbedevelopedasaskill.Youlookandlisten
whileatthesametimetryingtomaintainyoursenseofbeingcenteredinside.
Thisisoneofthebestmeasurementsforhowmuchgreed,anger,ordelusionis
lurkinginthemindandpushingitaround.Ifyoucatchthemindflowingoutto
aparticularobject,thereyouare:Youvefoundadefilement.
ManyofusintheWestdontliketheworddefilement.Wedenythat
theresanythingdefiledinourmindsandyet,whenthemindiscloudedby
desire,narrowedbydesire,thatspreciselywhattheBuddhameans.Yoursense
ofinnerawarenessgetsobscuredandnarrowedasyourattentiongoesflowing
out.AccordingtoAjaanLee,thetendencytoflowouttothingsisthemeaningof
asava:effluentorfermentation.Thatkindoflookingandlisteningthekind
whereyourmindflowsouttotheobjectisunskillfullooking,unskillful
listening.Ifyoureskillful,youcanstayinsidewhileyouseeandhear.Whenyou
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catchthemindinthecourseofflowingout,youvelearnedanimportantlesson:
thattheresstillgreed,anger,anddelusioninthemind.Ifyouwanttolookforit,
hereitis.Onlywhenyouseeitcanyouactuallydosomethingaboutit.You
begintosensethedangeroffallingforthosecurrents.Youdevelopthe
motivationtowanttodosomethingaboutit,sothatyoudonthavetoget
pushedaroundlikethisanymore.Youfindwaysofstoppingtheflowatits
source.
Thisiswhereyoufindthatbeinginsidetheformofthebodyreallyisahigher
leveloffoodforthemind,ahigherlevelofhappiness,abetterplacetobe.You
wanttodoeverythingyoucantostayhere,regardlessofwhathappensoutside.
Whenawildfireswoopsdownthemountainsideatyou,youwanttostayright
whereyouare.Youmaywanttomovethebody,ofcourse,butyouwantyour
centertostayrighthereinsidethebody.Whendisappointmentscomeinlife,you
stillwanttostayhereandnotletthedisappointmentsfromoutsidemake
inroadsintothemind.Whenacoldwavecomes,aheatwavecomes,youwantto
beabletofindyourrefreshment,yoursenseofwellbeing,hereinthebody.
Thisiswhyrestraintofthesensesisnotdeprivation.Itsactuallyawayof
feedingthemindbetterfood,givingitahigherlevelofpleasure.Butyoucant
haveeverything.Ifyougoforthemoredangerousfood,youmissoutonthe
betterfood.Youvegottomakethechoice:healthfoodorjunkfood.Inthat
sense,restraintisaformadeprivation.Butitsactuallyatrade.Youregetting
somethingbetterinreturn.
Asyougothroughtheday,keepaskingyourselfthatquestion:WhatamI
feedingonrightnow?Andwhatisitsayingaboutthemind?WhatamIlearning
aboutthemindbywatchingthewayIfeed?Inthisway,thesimpleactof
lookingorlisteningispartofthepractice.Ifyoudoitskillfully,itsnourishment
forthepractice.Itkeepsitgoing.
Thepathdoesntproviderefreshmentforthemindonlywhileyousithere
withyoureyesclosed,orwhileyouredoingwalkingmeditation.Whenyou
knowhowtoexerciserestraint,youcangainrefreshmentthroughouttheday.
Theresacontinuityinthepractice.Whenyousitdownandcloseyoureyes,
yourerighthere.Youdonthavetospendthewholehourpullingthemindin
likeacatonaleash,becauseitsalreadyhere.Youvealreadybeendeveloping
thewisdomanddiscernmentthatprotectthemind,keepingithere.Youdont
havetocookthemupfresheverytimeyousitdownandmeditate.
Sothinkofeverythingyoudothroughoutthedayasaskill,includingthe
wayyouexerciserestraint.Sometimesthatmeansnotlookingatorlisteningto
thethingsyoudontknowhowtodealwithyetlikeabeginningboxerwho
knowsenoughnottotakeonaworldchampion.Butyouwonthavetogo
throughlifewithblindersonallthetime.Youcanteachyourselfhowtolookat
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thingsthatusedtosetoffyourangerorsetoffyourlust,butyoudoitinanew
way,awayinwhichtheydontsetyouoff.Iftheressomethingyoufeelgreed
for,lookattheunattractivesideofgetting:whatwouldbeinvolvedintryingto
gainthatthingandkeepit.Ifthereslust,thinkoftheunattractivesideofthe
humanbody:yourownandthatofeveryonearoundyou.AsAjaanLeewould
say,lookatthingswithbotheyes,notjustone.
Andfurthermore,staycenteredrightherewhileyouredoingyourlookingso
thatyoucancheckandseeif,asyourelookingandlistening,yourereally
stayingseparatefromthedefilement.Orareyousneakingitin,areyouflowing
alongwithit?Thisiswhyrestraintisagoodcheckonthemind,intwosensesof
thewordcheck:Notonlytostopit,butalsotokeeptabsonwhatsactuallygoing
on.Ifthedefilementsseemreallyquietwhileyousitinmeditation,well,heres
yourchancetotestthem.Dotheyflowoutduringtherestoftheday?
Restraintiswhatprovidescontinuitytothepractice.Ifyoudoitskillfully,
yourlookingandlisteningallbecomepartofthepractice.Theycankeepyouon
thepathalldaylong.
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WalkingMeditation:StillnessinMotion

July20,2006

InThailand,itscommonthatwhenanajaanarrivesatamonasteryhes
neverbeentobeforeandwantstocheckouthowseriousthemonksareabout
practicing,helooksatthewalkingmeditationpaths.Iftheyrewellsweptand
obviouslywellwornbywalking,hetakesitasagoodsign.Oneofthereasons,of
course,isthatifyoulookattheplacewheresomeonesitsyoucantseehow
wornitisthroughthesitting,whereaswalkingwearsarutinthepath.Butthe
otherreasonisthatwalkingmeditationisanessentialpartofthepracticethat
peopletendtounderestimate.Byandlargeweemphasizethesittingandseethe
walkingsimplyasanopportunitytogetachangeofpacefromthesitting,toget
upandstretchourlegsabit.
Butthatsnottheonlypurposeforthewalking.IntheCanon,whenthe
Buddhatalksaboutthebenefitsofwalkingmeditation,someofthemarehealth
benefits,butintermsofthemind,hesaysthattheconcentrationdevelopedwhile
walkingisnoteasilydestroyed.Thisisanimportantpointtoponder.Whenwe
sitquietly,weretryingtogetthemindstill,andwetrytokeepthebodystillasa
wayofhelpingthemindalong.Butyoualsowanttobeabletokeepthemind
stillinthemidstofmovement,inthemidstofactivity.Thatswherewalking
meditationcomesin.
Whenyougetupfromyoursittingmeditationtowalk,trytomaintainthe
samecenteryouhadwhilesitting.Youmightthinkofitasabowlfullofoilthat
yourecarryingwithyouasyougetupfromtheseatandwalkovertothepath
andcontinuewalking.Youdontwanttospilladrop.Thatrequiresa
readjustmentinwhereyoukeepyourfocus.Normally,whenyouopenyour
eyes,thefirsttendencyisforyourawarenesstogoflowingouttheeyes,outinto
theworldofyourvisualsphere.Youlosesomeofyoursenseofbeinginsidethe
body.
Soremindyourselfnottolosethatsense.Maintainitevenasyouopenyour
eyes.Youmayfindthatthiscanknockyouoffbalancethefirsttimeyoutryit,
foritmeansfindingadifferentkindofbalancefromwhatyoureusedto.Butits
importantthatyoudevelopthisnewsenseofbalance,thissenseofbeingfully
insideyourbody,fullyinthebreath,evenwhilewalking,evenwhilemoving,
evenwhilenegotiatingwiththesurroundingsinwhichyouwalk,because
eventuallyyouwanttogettothepointwhereyoucanmaintainthatsamesense
ofcenterinthemidstofallyouractivitiestalking,working,eating,whatever
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whereveryouare.Andthisisagoodfirststepinthatdirection.Walking
meditationisameansofconnectingyoursittingmeditationwithmindfulness
throughoutdailylife.
If,whenyougetonyourwalkingpath,youfindthatyourcenterhasslipped,
immediatelybringitback.Thenwalktotheendofthepathatanormalpaceor
slightlyslower,ifyoufindithelpsyourconcentrationbutdontwalkatan
abnormallyslowpaceoryouwontgetthepracticeyouneedinbringing
centeredmindfulnesstoyournormalactivities.Dontglancearoundatthetrees
ortheothersightsaroundyou.Keepyoureyesdowncast,focusedonthepath
severalstepsinfrontofyou.Youcanholdyourhandsinfrontofthebodyorin
back,theimportantpointbeingthatyoudontswingyourarmsaround.When
yougettotheendofthepath,stopforabriefsecondtoreestablishmindfulness
incaseitslippedawaywhileyouwerewalking,andthenturn,stopforasecond,
andwalkbackintheotherdirection.Alwaystrytoturninthesamedirection,
eitherclockwiseorcounterclockwise,totherightortotheleft,sothatyoudont
havetokeepdecidingwhichwayyouregoingtoturnattheendofthepath.
Asidefromthat,trytomaintainthesamesenseofcenteryouhadwhile
sittingwithyoureyesclosed.Inotherwords,focusonthebreath.Eventhough
yourewalkingandlookingaheadtomakesureyoudonttripoverthings,you
wanttomaintainthesenseofbeingcenteredinthebreathasmuchaspossible.
Dontletthelookingandthewalkingpullyouawayfromyourcenter.This
requirespractice,maintainingacenterinthemidstofmovement.
Thisisimportantfortwomainreasons.One,asIsaidjustnow,isthatitgets
youusedtomaintainingyourcenterinotheractivitiesaswell,sothatevenwhen
youreengagedincomplexactivities,evenwhenyourethinkingaboutthings,
youcanstillhaveasenseofinhabitingthebody,beingcenteredwithinthe
breath.Youmayhavesomanyotherthingsgoingonthatyoucantkeeptrackof
whenthebreathiscominginorgoingout,butyoushouldbeabletomaintaina
sensitivitytotheenergytoneinthebodywhereitsrelaxed,whereitstight,
whatyoucandotokeepitrelaxedandcomfortableinallsituations.Youre
inhabitingthebody.Yourenotgoingoffentirelyintosomeotherthoughtworld.
Thiskeepsyougrounded.Itgivesyouaplacetoreturntoassoonasyouvedone
whateverworkneedstobedoneinthatthoughtworld.Otherwise,youhop
trains,fromonetrainofthoughttothenexttrainofthought,likeahobo,andyou
endupinLincoln,Nebraska.Whereas,ifyouregroundedhere,assoonasthe
thoughtworldhasdoneitswork,yourebackherewiththebreathagain.That
wayyoucanstaygroundedinthemidstofyourdifferentactivities.Youdont
getlostinthecourseoftheday.
Theotherreasonwhyitsimportanttodevelopthisabilitytostaycenteredin
themidstofactivity,isthatwhileyouredoingwalkingmeditation,youbeginto
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observehowthemindslipsout.Itsoftenthecasethatyougaininsightintothe
movementsofthemindalotmoreeasilywhileyourewalkingthanwhileyoure
sitting,becausewhenyouresitting,everythingissupposedtobetotallystill.
Youdonthavetopayattentiontoanythingelseatall.Youcanclampdownon
everythingandgetvery,verycentered,very,verystill.Butwhileyourewalking,
youstillhavetowatch;youstillhavetomove;therearedecisionstobemade
eveninthesimplematterofwalking.Whereyouregoingtoplaceyoureyes,
whereyouregoingtostep,noticinghowcloseyouaretotheendofthepath:
simplethings,buttheyremovementsofthemind.Andwhenthemindmoves
thatway,itseasyforotherintentionstosneakintothemovementtodivertitto
theirownends.Ifyourenotcareful,theyllpullyouaway.Butifyougetusedto
lookingforthem,yougainasenseofhowthemindtendstoflowout.
LuangPuDunetalksaboutthisinhisshortdefinitionsofthefournoble
truths.Themindthatgoesflowingout,hesaysisacauseofstress.Itsgoodtobe
abletocatchthatflowingoutinaction,toseethecurrent,toseehowandwhyit
moves,andtogetpracticeinnotflowingalongwithit.AjaanLeealsotalksabout
thisinhisdiscussionofmindasaframeofreference.Youstart,hesays,witha
senseofawarenessthatsstillandbright.Thenacurrentflowsoutfromthat
awarenessandgoestosenseobjects.Sometimesitslookingforsomethingtoget
angryabout,sometimesforsomethingtogetgreedyabout.Thereasonwedont
noticewhatshappeningisthatwetendtogowiththeflow.Butifyouput
yourselfinthesamepositionaswhenyouredoingwalkingmeditationthat
youregoingtostaystilleventhoughotherthingshavetomoveyoucan
developtheskillneededtostaystillwhilethecurrentofthemindisflowingout,
andyoudontgowithit.Youwatchitgoforalittleways,andbecauseyoure
notinhabitingit,itjustfallsshortofitsmarkanddies.
Soyougettoseethemindinactionandyetnotgetcarriedawaybythe
action.Thiswayitsaloteasiernottogoalongwitheverythingthatcomes
flowingthroughthemind.Yougetastrongersenseoftheobserverthatcan
watchthemovementsofthemindasevents,notasworldstoinhabit.Ifyougot
intothoseworlds,theydturnintoallkindsofstoriesandtakeyoutoadark
placeontheoutskirtsofBangkok,shootyou,anddumpyououtofthecar.But
whenyouseethemsimplyasevents,youdontgetinvolvedunlessyousee
clearlythattheyreallyareuseful.Thisputsyouinamuchbetterpositionnotto
getcarriedawaybythings.
Thesameabilitytowatchmovementbutnotmovealongwithit,helpsyou
analyzeyourownconcentration.TheCanontalksaboutdevelopinganabilityto
stepbackabitfromyourconcentrationafteryouvemasteredit.Inthefirst
stagesofconcentrationpractice,theBuddharecommendslearninghowto
indulgeintheconcentration,enjoyit,immerseyourselfinit,reallygetabsorbed.
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Inotherwords,youfullyplantyourmindintheobjectandbecomeonewithit.
Whileyouredoingthat,youcantthinkanalyticallyaboutwhatyouredoingat
all.Youretotallyfocusedontheoneobject,theoneperception.Youmayadjust
italittlehere,alittlethere,butwhenyouvedoneenoughadjusting,youallow
yourselftogetimmersedinit.Whileyoureinthatstate,youcantdomuch
analyzingofanysort.ButthentheBuddhatalksaboutsteppingbackabit.The
imagehegivesisofapersonsitting,lookingatsomeonewhoslyingdown,orof
apersonstanding,lookingatsomeonewhossitting.Youreabovetheother
personabit,andyoucanobservewhattheotherpersonlookslike,whatheor
sheisdoing.
Inthesameway,youcanlearnhowtoobservethemindwhileitsstill.You
arentsototallyimplantedintheobject,butatthesametimeyoudonttotally
leaveconcentration.Thereasonyoucandothisisbecauseyouvedevelopedthe
skillthroughwalkingmeditationfortheobservertobestilleventhoughtheresa
littlebitofmovementinthemind.Thiswayyoucanobserveyourstateof
concentration.
TheBuddharecommendslotsofwaysyoucanobserveit.Lookforwhatever
youcanrecognizeasform,feeling,perception,thoughtconstruct,or
consciousnesswithintheconcentration,andthencontemplateitsbehavior.One
simplewayiscontemplatingtheactivityofperception.Towhatextentdoesthe
perceptionyoureusingasamarkerforyourconcentrationcreatestressor
disturbanceforthemind?Learntoobservethatperception,thelabelyouplace
onthings,asanactofthemind.Theresanelementofintentionbehindit.Or,
manytimes,theresawholeframeofreferenceforthatparticularperception,a
wholeworldofbackground.Butifyoucanseetheperceptionasanactivitywith
abeginning,amiddle,andanend,youseethattheperceptionisonething,the
actualobjectoftheperceptionissomethingelse.
OneoftheclassicanalogiestheBuddhagivesisofamirage.Youseeatreein
themirage,eventhoughtheactualtreeismuchfartherawaythantheimageof
thetreeinthemirage.Thetreeinthemirageisonething;theactualtreeis
somethingelse.Theyreconnectedbutseparate.Whenyoucanseethe
distinctionbetweentheperceptionandtheactualobject,youcanstartseeingthe
perceptioninmotionandseewhatkindofeffectithasaspartofacausalchain.
Thatway,youcanseewhichkindsofperceptionsarehelpful,whichonesare
not.
AjaanLeepointsthisoutinhisbreathmeditationinstructions.Thewayyou
perceivethebreathinthefirstjhanaisgoingtobedifferentfromthewayyou
perceiveitinthesecond,thethird,orthefourth.Inthefourthjhana,you
perceivethebreathasastillenergyfield.Whatyouvedoneistotuneintoastill
energyfieldthatsalreadythereinthebody.Thewayyoucantuneinisthrough
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thisperception.Whatdoyouhaveinyourcurrentrangeofawarenessthats
breathenergybutstill?Ifyoucantfocusonthatjustyet,focusontheperception
ofbreathingin,breathingout,tryingtogettherightlengthofbreath,theright
qualityofbreath.Thatwillhelpyouto**getcenteredandtosettledown.But
therewillcomeapointwheretheunderstandingofthebreaththatgotyouinto
concentrationgetsinthewayofyourmovingtomoresubtlelevelsof
concentration.Soyouneedalternativewaysofperceivingbreathinthebody.
Insteadoffocusingontheinandoutbreath,tryfocusingonthesubtlebreath
energiesthatflowthroughthebloodvessels,flowthroughthenerves.Theyrea
verysubtleformoftheinandoutbreath.Thentheresamoresubtleenergythat
goesveryfast.Assoonasyoustartthinkingofbreathingin,itsalreadygone
aroundthebody,throughoutthebody,fromheadtotoe.Andthentheres
anotherlevelofenergy,thestillbreath,somethingthatsalwaysthere,regardless
ofwhethertheresaninbreathoranoutbreath.AjaanLeementionsoneofthe
energycenterswhereyoucanaccessthiswherethediaphragmconnectstothe
ribcagerightunderyourlungsbutthereareotherspotswhereyoucanfirst
accessitaswell.Theinbreathandoutbreathcanimpingeonthisstillenergy,
cansqueezeit,butifyoudecidenottolettheinandoutbreathinginterferewith
thatsenseofstillenergy,youcanthenletthatsenseofstillnesssuffusethewhole
body.Youmovetoadeeperlevelofconcentration,whereeverythingfeelswide
open,still,andfree.
Youvedonethisbyfocusingonyourperceptionsasevents,testingtheir
results,andthenchangingthemtogivebetterresults.Asyougrowmore
proficientatthis,youcanstartobservingtheentireprocess,toseehow
perceptionsshapeyourexperienceasawhole.Thatsonewayofdevelopinga
senseofdisenchantmentanddisengagement,seeinghowwhatyouthoughtwere
therawdataofexperiencearealreadyshapedbyperception.Thisisonewayto
developinsightinthecourseofpracticingconcentration.
Thisalldependsonthatabilitytoobservethemindinactionandyetnotget
caughtupintheaction.Andthisiswhywalkingmeditationissoimportant,
becauseithelpsgiveyoupracticeinperfectingthatability.
Sodontthinkofthewalkingsimplyassomethingyoudowhenyougettoo
tiredtosit,orassomethingwhereyousimplygothroughthemotionsuntil
yourereadytositagain.Itsnotameditationbreak;itsanessentialpartofthe
meditation.Itdevelopsanaddedskill,theskilltobecenteredinthebodynot
onlywhilethebodyisstill,butalsowhilethebodyismoving.Walking
meditationteachesyoutobestillinthemidstofmovement,togetastronger
senseofthemindastheobserverthatdoesntmovealongwiththethingsit
observes.
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Rememberthatchantaboutrespectforconcentration.Itdoesntapplyonlyto
sittingconcentration.Italsoappliestowalkingmeditationasanessentialskillin
yourconcentrationpractice.Todeveloprespectforthesethings,astheBuddha
said,putsyouinthepresenceofnibbana.
81

GuardianMeditations

June8,2007

Ifyouveeveropenedabooktolookatdependentcoarising,yourfirst
impulsewasprobablytoclosethebookbecausethetopicissocomplex.But
actuallytherearesomegoodbasiclessonsyoucanlearn,evenfromyourfirst
impressions.Theprimaryfactorisignorance.Thatswhatstartssufferingin
motion.Whenyoureplacetheignorancewithknowledge,thatcutsthechainof
causesandconditionsleadingtosuffering.
Soitsgoodtoknowpreciselywhatkindofknowledgeiscalledforhere:
knowledgeofthefournobletruths.Thisiswhyrightviewisalwaysgivenasthe
firstfactorinthenobleeightfoldpath.Itstartswithconvictioninyouractions:
thatyouractionsarereal,thattheyreallydohaveresults,andthatthequalityof
theresultsisdeterminedbythequalityofthementalstateengenderingthe
action.Itswithinthiscontextthatthefournobletruthsmakesense.Afterall,
sufferingisaresultofaparticularmentalaction,oraseriesofmentalactions
cravingandignorancebeingprimary.Ifmentalactionsdidnthaveanimpacton
yourlife,thefournobletruthswouldbemeaningless.
This,ofcourse,directsustowherewehavetopractice:Wevegottotrainthe
mind.Noticethateachofthefournobletruthsentailsaparticularduty,eachof
whichisaskilltobemastered.Youretryingtocomprehendsufferingsothat
youcanletgoofitscause.Youdevelopthepathsothatyoucanrealizetheend
ofsuffering.Thosearethedutiesyouhavetomasterasskills.Thisiswhyinthe
Buddhasteachingtheresnobigcontroversyoversuddenversusgradual
Awakening.Thekindofknowledgeweredevelopinghere,likeanyskill,is
incremental.Themoreyouworkonit,themoresensitiveyouget.Ultimately
youreachapointwhereyoureallyunderstand.
TheimageinthetextsisofthecontinentalshelfoffofIndia.Itsagradual
slopeandthentheresasuddendropoff.Itsnotallornothing.Thebuildupis
important,becausethebuildupiswhatmakesyoumoresensitive.Onlywhen
yourereallysensitivecanyouhavethoseAhamomentsthatreallygodeep
intothemind,openthingsup,changeyourperspectiveoneverything.Thisis
whytheeightfoldpathisnotonlycomposedofrightview,butalsootherfactors
thathelptoincreaseyourabilitytoknow,tolearn,tobeawareofthemind,and
tohelpyouletgoofthefactorsthatobscurethemind.Thatswhyoneofthe
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Buddhastermsforthepathisdevelopingandlettinggo.Youredeveloping
clarityofmind;yourelettinggoofthethingsthatobscureanddefilethemind.
Sothatsthebig,importantfactorinthechainofcausesandconditions:whether
youreoperatingoutoftherightviewofthefournobletruths,orthewrongview
ofignorance.
Theotherpointthatwillimmediatelystrikeyouifyoulookatdependentco
arisingishowmanyofthefactorscomepriortosensorycontact.Thingsdont
justbeginwithsensorycontact.Youbringawholeloadofpreconditionstoany
experience,andworkingonthosepreconditionsiswhatsgoingtomakeallthe
difference.Forinstance,buildingrightoffofignorancetherearewhattheycall
fabrications.Thewayyoubreathe,ifitsdoneinignorance,cancontributeto
suffering.Thatsphysicalfabrication.Verbalfabricationconsistsofthewayyou
directyourthoughtstothingsandthencommentonthem.Ifthisisdonein
ignorance,itsgoingtoleadtosuffering.Mentalfabricationconsistsof
perceptionsandfeelings:Ifyoufabricatethesethingsoutofignorance,theyre
goingtoleadtosufferingaswell.
Thisiswhyalargepartofthepracticeisfocusedontheissueofperception:
thewayyoulabelthings,howtheyfitintothelargerpictureofyourthoughts.
AndthisiswhytheBuddhadidntjustsitpeopledown,andsay,Okay,justbe
inthepresentmomentanddontthinkaboutanythingelse.Hewouldoften
starthisinstructionsbyleadinguptoanunderstandingofwhywereinthe
presentmoment,exactlywhatweretryingtolookforinthepresentmoment,
whatweregoingtodoaboutitwhenweseeit.
ThisiswhytherearesomanyanalogiesandimagesintheCanon.Theygive
youaframeworkforunderstandingwhatyouredoing.Andagain,manyofthe
imagesandanalogieshavetodowithskills:Beingaskillfulmeditatorislike
beingaskillfulcook,carpenter,orarcher.Theresaskillfulwaytoperceive;
theresevenaskillfulwaytofeel.Feelingcomesnotonlyfromrawdata,
streaminginfromtheoutside,butalsofromanelementoffabricationand
mentalimpulse.Aphysicalimpulsecomesupyournerves,andyourmind
processesitbeforeyourereallyconsciousofit.Whatweretryingtodoaswe
meditateistolearnhowtobringsomeoftheseunconsciousprocessesintothe
lightofday.Andacentralelementintheseprocessesisthewayyouperceive
things.Youcanconsciouslytrainyourselftoperceivethingsinmoreuseful,
moreskillfulways.
Theresaseriesofmeditationscalledguardianmeditations,whicharevery
helpfulinusingskillfulperceptionstogetthemindintherightmood,inthe
rightattitude,withtherightunderstanding,asyoucomeintothepresent
moment.Youlloftenfind,asyouresittingheremeditatingonthebreath,that
theproblemisnotwiththebreath.Itswiththementalbaggageyourecarrying
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withyou.Soyouwanttoopenupthebagsandthrowoutalltheunnecessary
weight.TheresanimagetheyhaveinThailandoftheoldwomanwhocarries
aroundahugebundleofstrawonherback.Shesalwaysbentoverbecauseshes
carryingsomuchstraw.Peopleaskherwhyshedoesntputitdown,andshe
says,Well,somedaythisstrawsgoingtocomeinhandy,soImcarryingitfor
thedayIllneedit.Soshecarriesitwherevershegoes.Ofcoursetherearemany
otherthingsshecouldbecarrying,butshecantbecausethestrawissuchahuge
bundle,andofcourseitsprettyuseless.
Soyouwanttolookintoyourbaggagetoseehowmuchstrawyoure
carryingaround,sothatyoucanlightenyourload.Thenyoucanreplaceitwith
betterthings,thingsthatreallywillbeuseful.Andtheguardianmeditationsare
agoodwayofsortingthingsoutinyourbaggage.
ThefirstguardianmeditationisrecollectionoftheBuddha,keepinginmind
hisAwakening,reflectingonitasacentraleventinthehistoryoftheworld.The
factofhisAwakeningshowsthatthroughhumanefforttruehappinesscanbe
found.Itsanimportantpointtokeepinmindbecausesomuchofourmodern
culturetriestosay,Hey.Youcanthaveanultimateanddeathlesshappiness,
butyoucanhavethehappinessthatcomesfromoureggbeaterwithanMP3
playerbuiltrightintothehandle,orwhatever.Inotherwords,theykeepyou
focusedonwhatyoucangetoutofbuyingtheirstuff,whichisallpretty
miserable.HowmanyarticlesinTheOnionarebasedonthis:Womandiscovers
thatbuyingthatnewmopdidnotdeliverthefulfillmentthatshehopeditwould
bringtoherlife.Inotherwords,ourculturekeepsusaimingprettylow:Gofor
thequickfix.Goforsomethingthatdoesntrequireanyeffortorskillonyour
part,justmoney.Theydressitup,makeitsoundlikeyoullbereallyhappyif
youbuytheirstuff.
Soitsimportanttokeepinmindthattherewassomeoneinthepastwho
foundtruehappinessanditwasthroughhisownefforts.And,ashesaid,it
wasntbecausehewasaspecialgodoranything.Itwassimplythrough
developingqualitiesofmindthatwecanalldevelopman,woman,child,layor
ordained:ardency,resolution,heedfulness.Weallhavethesequalitiestosome
extent.Itssimplyamatterofdevelopingthem.Thesamewithvirtue,
concentration,discernment:Thesearethingsweallhavetosomeextent.Its
simplyamatteroflearninghowtomakethemallaround.
Sowhenyouretemptedtogoforthequickbutshorthappiness,remind
yourself,TheBuddhasaysthattruehappinessispossible,andthatitcanbe
gainedthroughhumaneffort.Doyouwanttoliveyourlifewithoutexploring
thatpossibility?Ordoyoujustwanttowriteitoff?
Inthisway,keepingtheBuddhasAwakeninginmindisanimportant
perception,animportantperspective,tobringtoallofyourexperiences.And
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therearemanyotherthingsthatyoucangainbythinkingabouttheBuddhas
life:thesortofpersonhewas,hislastmessagetobeheedful.Hewasthesortof
personwhohadalreadyfoundtruehappiness.Hedidntneedtogainanything
fromanyoneelse,buthewentoutandhetaughtfor45years,walkingaround
NorthernIndia.Wherevertherewassomeonewhowasreadytobetaught,ready
tobenefitfromhisteachings,hewouldwalkthere.Thatsthekindofpersonwho
taughtthisDhamma.Notsomeonewhowasrunningaretreatcenterandneeded
tobringincash,andwhowaswillingtosayanythingtoattractclientele,but
someoneactingtotallyoutofpuremotives,purecompassion.Sothatsthekind
ofpracticewerepracticingaswefollowhispath.Anditsennoblingforusto
practiceinthatlineage.
Sothesearegoodperceptionstoholdinmind.Especiallywhenyouregetting
discouragedortemptedtogiveuponthepractice,orifyouthink,Well,maybe
Imnotuptothis:RememberthattheessentialqualitiesforAwakeningare
qualitiesthateverybodycandevelop.Butwehavetodevelopthemourselves.
Wecantdependonanyoneoutsidetocomeanddoitforus.Thatstheother
partofthemessageoftheBuddhaslife,thepartthatkeepsyouonyourtoes.
Thesecondguardianmeditationisgoodwill.Youwanttobringanattitudeof
goodwilltoeverybodyaroundyou.WhentheBuddhatalkedaboutgoodwillin
thebrahmaviharas,itwasntordinary,everydaygoodwill.Itwasgoodwillall
around,withoutlimit.Thatsnoteasy.Itdoesntcomenaturallytous.Wetend
tohavegoodwillforcertainpeople,andnotsomuchforotherpeople.Asa
result,ouractionsveryeasilyturnunskillful.Itsveryeasytodoharmtothe
peoplewedontcareaboutorwhoarentonourlistofpeoplewhodeservetobe
happy.Anditsalsoeasytodroppeoplefromthelistwhenthemoodstrikesus,
totreateventhepeopleweloveinunskillfulways.
Sotoprotectyourselffromthatkindofunskillfulaction,youvegottolearn
howtomakeyourgoodwillallaround,24/7.Thatdoesntmeancreatingacloud
machinethatsendsoutbillowingcloudsinalldirectionstohideyourlackof
goodwill.Whenyoustartspreadingthoughtsofgoodwill,firstyouspreaditto
peoplewhoareeasythepeopleyoualreadyloveandlikeandthentopeople
whoareharder.Eventhoughyoudontlikethem,youcanaskyourself:Why
wouldInotwantthispersontobehappy?Afterall,**whenpeoplearent
happy,theycandocruelandmiserablethings.Theworldwouldbeabetter
placeifeveryonecouldfindtruehappinessinside,regardlessofwhetheryoulike
themornot,orwhethertheyvebeengoodornot,orwhethertheyreonyourlist
ofthedeserving.Andbesides,whomadeyoutheNationalBureauof
Standards?Whyshouldyourlikesanddislikesruletheworld?Inthisway,
goodwillmeditationismeanttobeachallengeforyoutoreallythinkthrough
whyyoudwanttolimityourgoodwill,andtoremindyourselfofwhyitsgood
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tohavegoodwillforeveryone.Youcantactonharmfulintentionsifyour
goodwillisallaround.Thisiswhyitscalledaguardianmeditation.
Thethirdguardianmeditationisofthefoulnessofthebody.Alotofpeople
dontlikethisone.IfwetookapollofmeditatorshereintheWest,wed
probablyfindthisatthebottomofthelistofpopularmeditationtopics,yetits
veryuseful.Somepeoplesay,Hey,Ivealreadygotanegativebodyimage.
Whydoyouwantmetomakeitevenmorenegative?Well,thereshealthy
negativebodyimage,aswellasanunhealthyone.Unhealthyiswhenyousee
thatyourbodyisugly,butotherpeoplehavebeautifulbodies.Healthyiswhen
youseethatweallhavethesamegarbageinsideourselves:Nobodysliver
wouldwintheMissUniversecontest.Thiscontemplationishelpfulbecauseitsa
guardian.Itprotectsyoufrominappropriatelust.Therearesomanypeopleout
thereyoucouldfeellustfor,butifyouactedonityoudcreatealotoftrouble.
Evenifyourenotpracticingcelibacy,youneedawaytoguardyourselfagainst
thatkindofvagrantlust.Sothenexttimeyouseeanattractiveperson,insteadof
weavingallsortsofnarrativesfromtheideasandassociationsyouvedeveloped
aroundbeauty,itsgoodtoteachyourselfothernarratives,otherassociations.
Rightundertheskin,whathaveyougot?Youvegotallthesebloodvesselsand
nervesanduck!Andasyougodeeper,itsgetsmoreuck!Andwhatdoyougain
outoflustingforthat?Whywouldyouwantit?
Thissortofcontemplationreallygoesagainstthegrain,whichisoneofthe
reasonswhyitsusefultoreflectonoverandoverandoveragain.AjaanMaha
Boowakeepsmakingthepoint:Dontcountthenumberoftimesyouvereflected
onthefoulnessofthebody.Justkeepdoingituntilitsdoneitsjob.Afterall,our
lustingafterthehumanbodyiswhatledustobeborn.Thisiswhatkeepsus
wantingtocomeback,anditmakesusdoreallystupidthings.Sothis
contemplationisausefultooltohaveinyourarsenal.Itsausefulnewsetof
perceptionstodevelop.Ourperceptionsofbeautyaredangerous,soitsgoodto
learnhowtoseethatbeautifulbodiesarenotreallybeautiful.Allyouhavetodo
islookinsidealittlebitandyouseeallkindsofstuffthatcankillthelustifyou
reallyallowyourselftolookatthebodyasawhole,andnotjustatthefewparts
youtendtofocusonasbeingattractive.
Thefourthguardianmeditationisrecollectionofdeath.Formostpeoplethis
isprettydisturbinganddepressing,butitsmeanttobeusedinawaythats
inspiring,thathelpsustofollowthepathbeyonddeathtothedeathless.Remind
yourselfthatwevegotthispracticethatallowsustopreparefordeathand
transcendit.Haveyoufullydevelopedit?Areyoureallyprepared?Andthe
answerisalmostalwaysNo.Okay,then,youvegotworktodo.
Thisisagoodantidoteforlaziness.TheresagreatsuttawheretheBuddha
talksabouteightreasonsforlazinessandeightreasonsforbeingdiligent,andfor
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bothliststheexternalconditionsarethesame.Youcanbelazybecauseyoure
feelingsick;youcanbelazybecauseyouareabouttogoonatrip;youcanbe
lazybecauseyouvejustgottenbackfromatrip;youcanbelazybecauseyoujust
recoveredfromanillness;youcanbelazybecauseyouhaventeatenenough;
youcanbelazybecauseyouveeatentoomuch.Butyoucanalsousethose
circumstancestoremindyourself:Idonthavemuchtime.Whenyoujust
recoverfromanillness,insteadofsaying,Imstillweak,Imnotquitewellyet,
letmerest,youremindyourself:Icouldgetsickagain.Icouldhavearelapse,
butatleastnowIvesomestrength,letmegivethisstrengthtothepractice.If
youhaventeatenenough,remindyourself,Thebodyislight;Imnotspending
allthattimeandenergydigestingmyfood,soIvegotmoreenergynowforthe
practice.Youvegottherightconditionsforsittingveryquietly,verystill.
Soyourattitudeiswhatsgoingtomakethedifferencebetweenwhetherthe
circumstancesyouvegotrightnowarereasonsforlazinessorreasonsfor
diligence.Whenyouremindyourselfthatyoudontknowhowmuchtime
youvegot,itshouldstiryoutoactionsothatwhenthetimecomes,whenyou
reallydohavetogo,youreready,prepared.Youvegottheconcentration,
youvegotthepowerofdiscernment,youvegotthestrengthofmindtodeal
withwhatevercomesyourway.
Ifyousitaroundsaying,PleasemayInotdie,pleasemayInotdie,
somedayyoullstillhavetodienomatterhowmuchyouplead.Awiserattitude
wouldbe:PleasemayIbereadywhenthetimecomes.MayIhavethestrength
todealwithanydifficultythatmightcomemyway.Thenyourealizethatthis
issomethingyouhaveinyourpower:toworkonthosestrengths.Afterall,
wevegottheexampleofhowtheBuddhadied.Thisiswhythesetwo
recollectionsrecollectionoftheBuddhaandrecollectionofdeathgowell
together.TheBuddhashowsyouhowyoucanprepare.Youlookatthewayhe
died:onelasttripthroughallthejhanas.Hediedwithnosufferingatalland
gainedtotalrelease.Itspossibleforahumanbeingtodothis.Ifyouthinkthat
comparingyourselftotheBuddhaistoomuchofastretch,thinkaboutthe
membersoftheSangha.Youcanreadtheversesoftheeldermonksandtheelder
nuns.Someofthemwereprettymiserable,totallosersinmeditationatfirst,and
yettheywereabletopullthemselvestogether.Theycoulddoit;youcandoit.
Sothesefourcontemplationsareguardianmeditationstobringwisdominto
yourperceptionofthings,thelabelsandideasyoubringtoyourexperience.The
moreyoudevelopthem,thenthebetterthesetofassociations,thebettertheset
ofnarrativesyoubringto,say,justthefactyourebreathing,orthefactyoure
seeing,hearing,tasting,ortouchingthingsinthepresentmoment.Inother
words,whatyoubringintothepresentmomentisgoingtomakeallthe
difference.
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Thisiswhywetrainthemind.Thisiswhywepracticesothatwhenthe
timecomestoperform,youcanperformwell,inawaythatdoesntleadto
suffering.Youbringknowledgeintotheequationsothatnomatterwhichfactor
ofdependentcoarisingyourelookingatwhetheritsfeelings,contact,craving,
clinging,orwhateveryoucanuntangletheconditionsforsufferingandreplace
themwithconditionsthatleadtotheendofsuffering.
Solearnhowtodevelopthesetopicsalongwiththebreath.Theyhelpputthe
wholepracticeintotherightnarrative,intotherightperspective,andthey
protectyousothatyouarentconstantlycausingsufferingforyourselfandthe
peoplearoundyou.Thatsthebestprotectionthereis.
88

CleanlinessisNexttoMindfulness

February10,2006

TheresafamouspoeminThailandabouttheamorousadventuresoftwo
mentryingtooutdoeachotherintermsofthenumberofwomentheycansleep
with.Itsprettylightentertainment,butoneofitsmostinterestingpassagesis
whenoneofthemenisenteringtheapartmentsofawomanhesenamoredwith.
Heopensthedoorandtheresafoldingscreenpaintedwithastory.Atthatpoint
thepoemdropsthestoryofthemanandthewoman,andgoesintothestoryon
thescreen,describingnotonlytheeventsdepictedonthescreenbutalsohow
theyredepicted.Itturnsoutthewomanherselfhadpaintedthescreen.Soasthe
mangoesfrompaneltopanel,henotonlylearnsthestorybutalsogetsavery
goodsenseofwhatkindofpersonsheisbythewayshehandledthescenes,how
shepaintedthecharacters.Soeventhoughyouhaventmetheryetinthepoem,
bythetimeyoufinishthestoryinthescreenyouknowherthroughher
handiwork.
ThisisaprincipleyoufindthroughoutThaiculture.Backintheolddays,
peoplewouldlearnabouteachotherbythewaytheydidthings,bythethings
theymade.Ifyouwereayoungmanandwantedtoappealtoayoungwoman,
youdcarveapoleforhertocarryoverhershoulderwhencarryinggiftstothe
monastery.Andshedgetaverygoodsenseofwhatkindofpersonyouwere
bothbythefactthatyoumadeapoleforthatpurpose,andbyyourhandiwork
inthewayyoucarvedit.Mostofusnowadayswouldbehopelessinasituation
likethat.Werenotusedtomakingthings.
Thisisoneofourproblemsasmeditators.Wedonthavemanyphysical
skills;wehaventlearnedthementalqualitiesthatgowithdevelopingaphysical
skill.Sowevegottogobackandlearnthemfromscratch.Thisiswhythe
trainingisnotjustamatterofsittingandwalking;itsawholelifetime.Allthe
thingsyoudothroughoutthedayareopportunitiestodevelopmindfulness,
alertness,learninghowtobemeticulousinwhatyoudo.Theresthesaying,
Howyoudoanythingishowyoudoeverything.Itmaynotbeabsolutelytrue,
butitsclose.
AjaanLeedevotesalmostawholeDhammatalktothetopicofcleanliness.
ThetitleofthetalkisReflectiononVirtue,orRecollectionofVirtue,buta
goodtwothirdsofthetalkisaboutbeingclean.Thatsanimportantpartof
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virtue.Inotherwords,whileyourelivinghere,dontthinkthatthedaytoday
factsofeatingorhavingaplacetosleepareminormatterstohurrythroughso
youcangettotherealbusinessofmeditating.Ifyouresloppywiththings
outside,youregoingtobesloppywithyourmeditation.Itsabasicprinciple.
Youwanttolearnhowtobemeticulous,clean,neat,alertinallthethingsyou
do.Inthatway,theactivitiesbecomenotachoretobedisposedofasquicklyas
possible,orsomethingjustgettinginthewayofyourmeditation.Theybecome
partofthemeditation.Afterallthewordformeditationisbhavana:Itmeansto
develop.Youredevelopingqualitiesofmind.Andthemindthatcleansyour
roomisthesamemindthattriestocleanitselfout.Ifitssloppyincleaningthe
room,itsgoingtobesloppyincleaningitselfout.Soyouvegottotakethese
thingsseriously.
IrememberAjaanFuangtellingmeabouthistimewithAjaanMun,how
AjaanMunwasextremelymeticulous,verycleanabouteverything.Evenliving
outintheforestinthedryseasonwhentherewasalotofdust,hishutand
everythingarounditwasveryneat,veryclean.Everythingwasinitsrightplace.
Eventheragsheusedtowipeoffhisfeet:Healwayskeptthemwellwashed.If
theygottorn,hewouldsewthemup.Hedidntletanythinggotowaste.
Sotrytohavethisattitudeinallyouractivities.Whenyouretrainingthe
mind,themindistherenotonlywhenyoumeditate.Itsthesamemindthatgoes
throughtheday:whatyoudo,whatyousay,howyoudoyourchores.Thoseare
theareaswhereyoushowthequalitiesofyourmind.Thosearetheareaswhere
theyrealsobeingdeveloped.Ifyouredevelopingsloppy,lazyhabitsinyour
daytodaychores,thosehabitsaregoingtogetinthewayofyourmeditation.If
youlearntobemeticulousandneat,thosehabitswillcomehelpyour
meditationbecausethemindislikealargetree.Sometreeslikebanana
treeshaveonlyoneshootattheend.Theygrowveryfastbutdontgivemuch
shade.Thetreesthatgivealotofshadearetheonesthatgrowlotsofbranches.
Theresalottobecoveredintrainingthemind.Itsnotjustamatterof
masteringonesingletechnique.Iwasonceaskedthequestion,Howdoes
someonewhosmasteredmeditationovercometheproblemofpride?Afterall,
youvebeenabletomasterthistechnique;youreprettysharp.Well,that
happensmainlyinplaceswhereeverythingisreducedtoameditationtechnique,
inmeditationcenterswherethepeoplewhomeditatedonthaveanythingelseto
do.Everythinggetschanneledintothatoneshootattheendofthebananatree.
Thingsmayhappenfast,buttheresnoshade.Itsanincompletetraining.
Thecompletetraininghastogoallaround.Ithastodealwiththewayyou
treatotherpeople,howyouhandledifficultsituations.Yourwholelifeispartof
thetraining,andinthecourseofthewholelifeaspectofthetraining,youneed
tolearnhowtoseehowyouvebeensloppy,howyouvebeenstupid,how
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youvebeenignorant,howyouvebeenthoughtlessandcareless.Ifyoudontsee
thosethings,yourenotgoingtolearnanything.Theexperienceischastening
insteadofprideinducing.Whenthetrainingiscomplete,everyaspectofthe
mindhasbeentrained,sothatyoureskilledatallkindsofactivities,withan
attitudenicelybalancedbetweenhumilityandpride.
Once,duringmyveryfirstyearwithAjaanFuang,thetimecameforthe
kathina,whichwasthebigeventoftheyear.Lotsofpeopleweregoingtocome
fromBangkok.Someofthemwouldhavetobehousedforanightortwobefore
thekathina,andeverybodywouldhavetobefed.Ihadadreamafewnights
beforetheycamethatAjaanFuanghadahugeclosetwithlotsofdifferenthats.
Hewouldgointotheclosetandcomeoutwithonehaton,thengobackinand
comeoutwithadifferenthaton.Andsureenough,inthepreparationforthe
kathina,theyhadtoputupbambooshedsandtheyhadtoarrangefortheextra
kitchenareaslotsofdifferenttasksandhewasgoodatsupervisingthemall.
Aslaterhetoldme,PracticingtheDhammaisnotjustbeinggoodatsittingwith
youreyesclosed.Itinvolveslearninghowtobeskillfulineverythingyoudo.
Thisattitudethatwantstobeskillful:Thatswhatsgoingtoseeyouthroughlots
ofdifferentproblems.Ifyoudontgiveadamnaboutthingsoutside,yourmind
isgoingtobeadontgiveadamnkindofmindinsideaswell.Itgets
apathetic,careless.
Butifyoumakeupyourmindthatwhateverchorefallstoyou,youregoing
totrytodoitskillfully,thenyoudevelopwhatarecalledthefourbasesfor
success:thedesiretodoitskillfully;thepersistencethatstickswithittillyouve
masteredit;intentness,payingalotofattentiontowhatyouredoing;and
analysis,usingyourpowersofdiscernmenttoseewhatsnotyetright,tryingto
figureouthowtogetaroundproblems,howtosolvethem.Thisfourthfactor
alsoinvolvesingenuityalltheactivequalitiesofthemind.Thetextstalkabout
thesefourbasesofsuccessspecificallyinconjunctionwithconcentration,buta
commonteachingalloverThailandisthatifyouwanttosucceedatanything,
youvegottodevelopthesequalitiesofmindandapplythemtowhateveryou
havetodotosucceed.Andregardlessofwhatareasofyourlifeyoudevelop
themin,youcantakethemandapplythemtootherareasofyourlifeaswell.
Soseeeveryaspectofyourlifeasanopportunitytotrainthemind.Ifyou
wanttodevelopgoodstrongpowersofconcentration,itsnotjustwhatyoudo
whileyouresittingwithyoureyesclosed.Itshowyoutackleanyactivity:
learninghowtobefocusedonthatactivity,learningtobestrictwiththemind
whenitstartswanderingoff.Thatwaythemindisrightthere;youlearnhowto
keepitrighttherenomatterwhatyouredoing.Andwhenthetimecomestosit
downwithyoureyesclosed,well,yourerightthere.Youdonthavetogo
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chasingtheminddown.Sotrytoseethepracticeasaseamlesswhole.Theword
bhavana,asIsaid,istodevelop.Youcandevelopyourmindinanysituation.
Dontthinkthattheimportantinsightsaregoingtocomeonlywhenyoure
sittingwithyoureyesclosed.Therearemanyreferencestothispointinthe
Canon.Onenunsmindfinallycametoagoodsolidconcentrationwhileshewas
washingherfeet.Andthepoeminwhichshetellsofhowthishappenedis
interesting.Aftershewashesherfeet,shegoesintoherhutanddoesallthe
thingsyouretoldtodointheVinaya.Shechecksthebedfirstbeforeshesits
downonitandthenshetakesapinandpullsthewickoutofthelamptoputout
thelight.Andassoonasthefirewentout,shesaid,thatwasthemomentofher
Awakening.Shesaidtheliberationofawarenesswasliketheliberationofthe
fire.
Soitsnotonlywhenyouresittingwithyoureyesclosedthatimportant
thingscanoccurtothemind,importantinsightscancome,orthatthemindcan
gatherintoone.Itsamazing.Sometimesthemindcanreallygetconcentrated
whileyourejustdoingachoreifyouapproachthechorewiththeproper
respect.Sorememberthatthistreeofourshaslotsofbranchesandtheyreall
growingatonce.Thingsmayseemslowbecausetheyreallgrowingatonce,but
atleastyouregettingatreethatoffersreallygoodshadeonceitsgrown.Thats
whatitmeansforthemindtobewelltrained:trainedallaround.Youcanwatch
themindinitsactivities,soyouwanttomakesurethatitswelltrainedin
everythingitdoes.

92

ASenseofEntitlement

April12,2004

Someofthechantswereciteintheeveningaremeanttoinspireus,and
othersaremeanttowarnus,tokeepusgrounded,tomakesurewedontgetlost
inabstractions,inideasthatarenotallthatrelevanttowhereweare.
Likethechantontherequisites.Itstheretoremindusdayin,dayout
thatwhenyoureborn,yourebornwithabiglack.Youvegotthisbodythat
needsfood,needsclothing,needsshelter,needsmedicine,andyourenotborn
withanentitlementtothosethings.Ifyouwerereallyentitledtothem,they
wouldcomeontheirown.Thefactthattheyseemtocomeontheirownwhen
werechildrenisbecauseourparentsarelookingafterus,butthatmeansthey
havetogooutanddoextraworkjusttoprovideforthisbig,gapingholetheyve
justgivenbirthto.Andsoasyougrowupasahumanbeing,younotonlycarry
thishugeloadofneedsaroundwithyou,butyoualsocarryabigdebttothe
goodness,theworkofotherpeople.Itsimportanttokeepthatinmind.
Partofthereasonforthatchantistogiveasenseofsamvega.Youthinkabout
allthesufferingthatgoesintomakingsurethatwehavethefoodweneedto
keepthisbodygoing,theclothing,theshelter,themedicinenotonlyfromthe
workweourselveshavedonetogetthesethings,butalsoalltheworkand
sacrificesthatotherbeingsmakesothatwecanhavethem.
Sowecometothepracticewithahugedebt.AndtheBuddhaencouragesus
tohaveasenseofgratitudetoeveryonewhosprovidedforusmateriallyand
intermsoftheDhammabecauseotherwisewegetcomplacent.
Theresasayingthatgratitudeisthesignofagoodperson.Ifyoudont
appreciatethegoodnessofotherpeople,itshardtomakethatextraeffort
neededtobeagoodpersonyourself.Sostopandreflecteverydayonthedebts
youowetootherpeopleandthevariouswaysyoumightbeabletorepaythose
debts.Thismeansthatyoushouldcometothepracticenotwithasenseof
entitlementbutwithasenseofhowmuchyouneedtheDhammapracticetohelp
compensateforthedebtsyouvebeenaccumulatingovertime.
Lookatthemonasterywehavehere.Itscomeaboutthroughthegenerosity
oflotsandlotsofdifferentpeople.Theyvebeengenerouswiththeirmoney,
generouswiththeirtime,generouswiththeirstrength.Everythingwehavehere
istheresultofsomebodysgenerosity.Oneofthereasonsweneedtobereally
activeinthepractice,dedicatedtothepractice,notcomplacentinthepractice,is
93
becausewevegotthisdebt.AstheBuddhaoncesaid,theonlypeoplewhoare
reallydebtlessinthisworldarethearahants.Aslongaswehaventyetreached
thatpoint,westillhaveadebttootherpeople,totheotherbeingsallaroundus.
Whateverwaywecanbuildgoodnessthroughgenerosityofourown,observing
theprecepts,throughthemeditation,isawayofhelpingtorepaythatdebt.
Atthesametimetheresthequestionofkeepingthisteachingalive.Youneed
tohaveasenseofhowpreciousthisis,thisteachingoftheDhamma.Itsnotthat
beingsgettomeetwiththeDhammaeverylifetime.Therearewholeeonswhere
theworldhasnonotionoftheDhammaatall.Wewereborninatimewhenthe
Dhammaisstillalive.Therearestillpeoplepracticing.Theworldisnotemptyof
arahants.Sovalueyouropportunity.Thinkofyourdebtofgratitudetoallthe
peoplewhovekeptthisteachingalive,anddowhatyoucantokeepitalivefor
thepeoplewhocomeafteryou.
WhenyoureadBuddhisthistory,itcansometimesbeaprettydepressing
project,seeinghowpeopletaketheDhammaandbendittootherneeds,other
agendas,otherideas.Andyettherearealwayspeoplewhohaveasenseofthe
Dhammastruepurposeandworktobringthetraditionbackinline.Butthinkof
allthedifficultiestheygothrough,likeAjaanMun.Inhisdaystheforest
traditionhaddegenerated.Itwasmainlycomposedofmonkswanderingaround
recitingmagicalspells,sellingamuletstopeople.Itwasakindofbusiness.But
hetooktheVinayaandcombineditwiththeforestpracticeandsorediscovered
thewaytoAwakening.
AtthattimetheThaiBuddhisthierarchyhaddecidedthatthewaytonibbana
wasclosed.Nobodyseemedtobegoingthatwaythatwastheofficialline.
Theyevenhadmadeasurveyofmeditationtemplestoproveit.AndAjaanMun
hadtoprovesinglehandedlythatitwasnttrue,soyoucanimaginewhathe
wasupagainstnotonlyhisowndefilements,butthedisapprovalofstateand
ecclesiasticalofficials.Whenyoureadhisbiography,youlearnjustalittleabout
thehardshipshewentthrough.Sotrytodevelopasenseofgratitudeforwhathe
did,sothatyoucanmaintaintheDhammainyourpracticeaswell.Dontbe
guiltyofthesortofchangesintheDhammathatsomeoneelsedownthelineis
goingtohavetocomealongandstraightenout.
IdeallyweshouldcometotheDhammanotwithasenseofentitlement,but
withasenseofgratitudeasenseofhowimportantitisandwhatsdemanded
ofustobeequaltotheDhamma.Whenwehavethatattitude,ourDhamma
practicereallystartsgettingresults.Theresalotdemandedofus,butifwehave
asenseofconvictionintheimportanceoftheDhamma,wellbewillingtomake
whatevereffortsrequired.
AjaanFuangoncetoldmethatoneofhisprimemotivationsinpracticingwas
thathewasbornintoapoorfamily.Hedidntdowellinschool,hewas
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orphanedatanearlyage,andashewasgrowinguphejustdidnthaveanything
toshowforhimselfasahumanbeing.IfyouwanttomakeyourwayinThai
society,youvegottohavealotofgoodconnections.Well,hehadno
connections,andhedidnthaveanythingelsetofallbackon.Herealizedthat
thiswashisonlyhopeforanykindofhappiness:tobuildupthegoodnessthat
Dhammapracticecanprovide.Sohethrewhimselfintoit,andhissingle
mindednesswaswhatenabledhimtoattainwhathedid.
AswecometotheDhammaweneedastrongsenseofitsimportanceanda
strongsenseofourneedfortheDhamma.Wecometoitnotbecausewere
entitledbutbecausewereindebttoourparents,toalltheotherlivingbeings
whovecontributedtothefactthatwenowhaveabodyandarestillalive.Lots
ofpeopletalkaboutinterconnectednessasawonderfulthing,butitcarriesalot
ofIOUs.
Trytothinkaboutthisinawaythatmakesyouwillingandhappytorepay
thoseIOUsunderstandingtheneedtorepaythem,andhappythatyouve
foundawaytomeetthatneed.UsethatasamotivationtokeepyourDhamma
practiceinline,tokeepyourselfdevotedtothepractice.Thatwayyoubenefit.
Yougetthefullsetofbenefitsthatcancomefromthepractice,andthepeople
aroundyougetafullersenseofitsbenefitsaswell.
95

RightLivelihood

December21,2007

Wereoftenimpatientatthepractice.Wewanttogostraighttoinsight,
straighttothesolutionofallourproblems,sowecanthengobackhomeandget
onwiththerestofourlives.Butyoufirsthavetoputthemindingoodshape
beforeyoucangainanyinsight.Youhavetofeeditwell:Thatswhat
concentrationisallabout.AstheBuddhaoncesaid,ifyoudonthavethe
pleasureandrapturethatcancomefromatleastthefirstjhana,yourealways
goingtobetemptedbysensuality.Evenifyouunderstandthedrawbacksof
sensualpleasuresandsensualdesires,ifyoudonthavethisalternativewayof
findinghappinessyouregoingtogobacktoyouroldways.Nomatterhow
muchDhammayoumayhavereadorhowpreciseyourunderstandingofthe
intricaciesoftheBuddhasteachings,whenthetimecomestofeed,youregoing
togobackandfeedonthesameoldroadkillyouvebeenfeedingonallyourlife.
ItslikeAjaanChahssimile:Westerners,heoncesaid,arelikevultures.When
theyfly,theyflyveryhigh,butwhentheyeat,theyeatlow.Thatsoneofthose
quotesyoudontnormallyseeinbooksaboutAjaanChah,butithitshome.We
intheWesttendtooverlookourneedforthegroundworkprovidedby
concentration.TheBuddhahimselfcomparedthehappiness,pleasure,and
equanimitythatcomefromconcentrationtokindsoffood.Hisimagewasofa
fortressattheedgeofafrontier,anddifferentqualitiesinthepathcorrespondto
differentaspectsofthefortress.Theresdiscernment,whichislikeaslipperywall
thattheenemycantclimbup.Learningislikearangeofweaponstofightoffthe
enemy.Mindfulnessislikethegatekeeperwhorememberswhotoletinand
whonottoletin.Andjhana,hesaid,islikestoresoffood.
Thefirstjhanaislikewaterandgrass.Whenyouworkuptothefourthjhana,
youvegothoney,butter,andghee.Thesearewaysofnourishingthemindand
providingforitsrightlivelihood.Evenifyourenotgaininganyhigherlevelsof
insight,atleastyourefindingpleasureinablamelessplace.Thisqualifiesas
rightlivelihoodinthepath.Themorepleasure,themoreasenseofwellbeing
andstabilityyoucandevelopfromwithin,thenthelighteryourkammic
footprintontherestoftheworld,thelessharmyourecausingasyousearchfor
yourlivelihood,bothphysicalandmental.
96
Soasyourepracticingconcentration,youredevelopingseveralfactorsofthe
pathatonce.Theresrightresolve,theresolvetorenouncesensuality,tofinda
pleasurethatsnotinvolvedwithsensualpassion;rightmindfulness,whichis
thethemeofrightconcentration;andrightlivelihood,lookingafteryourneedsin
askillfulway.Rightlivelihoodisthepoorstepsisteroftheeightfoldpath.Itsthe
factorthattheBuddhahardlydefinesatall.Hesimplysaysthediscipleofthe
nobleonesavoidswronglivelihoodandmakeshisorherlivingthroughright
livelihoodwhichdoesnttellyoumuch.
Partofthismayhavebeensimplyaquestionofetiquette.Theresonlyone
passageintheCanonwheretheBuddhaclearlycomesoutwithageneral
statementcondemningcertaintradesaswronglivelihood.Helistsfivetrading
inpoison,tradinginweapons,tradinginintoxicants,tradinginmeat,and
tradinginhumanbeingsasslavessayingthatthediscipleofthenobleones
avoidsthem.Youdontsetyourselfupwithashoptosellalcohol,poison,
weapons,meat,orslaves.ButotherwisetheBuddhaisverycircumspectwhen
talkingaboutotherpeoplesoccupations.
Therearetwocaseswherepeopleofquestionableprofessionscometohim.
Oneisanactor;theother,aprofessionalsoldier.Theysayprettymuchthesame
thing.Ourteacherswhotaughtustobeactors,theactorsays,claimedthatif
youspendyourlifeentertainingpeoplewithyourimitationsofreality,making
themlaugh,youregoingtoattaintheheavenoflaughterafterdeath.Whatdoes
MasterGotamahavetosayaboutthat?
TheBuddhatwicerefusestoanswer,buttheactorkeepsafterhim,andasks
himathirdtime.SotheBuddhafinallysays,Well,itlookslikeIcantget
anywherewithyoubysayingIdontwanttoanswerthat.SoIllansweryou.
Hegoesontosaythatif,asyoureacting,yougiverisetogreed,anger,and
delusioninyouraudience,andyourmotivationforactingisgreed,anger,and
delusion,thenafteryoudieyouregoingtogotothehelloflaughteri.e.,not
theplacewherepeoplelaughwithyou,butwheretheylaughatyou.Sotheactor
breaksintotears.TheBuddhasays,See?ThatswhyIdidntwanttoanswer
yourquestion.Theactorsays,No,Imnotcryingbecauseofwhatyousaid.Im
justcryingbecauseIvebeendeceivedbymyteachersforsolong.
Similarlywiththesoldier.Thesoldiersays,Iwastaughtthatifyoudiein
battle,youregoingtogototheheavenofheroes.WhatdoesMasterGotama
havetosayaboutthat?Again,theBuddhatwicerefusestoanswer.When
pushedforthethirdtime,hefinallysays,Whenyoureinthemidstofbattle,
givingrisetothedesireforthekillingofotherbeingsMaytheseotherbeings
suffer,maytheybeharmed,maytheybekilledthatmindstate,ifyoudiethen,
willtakeyoutothehellofheroeswhodieinbattle.Liketheactor,thesoldier
breaksintotearsandtheBuddhasays,See?ThatswhyIdidntwanttoanswer
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yourquestion.Andthesoldier,liketheactor,says,No,Imnotcryingbecause
ofwhatyousaid.ImjustcryingbecauseIvebeendeceivedforsolongbymy
teachers.
TheBuddhasetiquettehereisinteresting.Hedidntsetoutonacrusade
againstactorsorprofessionalsoldiersoradvertisingpeopleorwhatever.Onlyif
hewaspushedwouldhecondemnaparticularoccupation.Otherwise,whathe
wouldaskyoutodoistoreflectonyourmeansoflivelihood.Isitharmingother
beings?Doesitinvolvelying?Doesitinvolveunskillfulmentalstates?Ifitdoes,
maybeyoushouldlookforanotheroccupationwhich,ofcourse,maytake
time.ThismayhavebeenoneofthereasonswhytheBuddhaobservedthat
etiquette,foralotofpeoplearestuckintheiroccupation.Itsgoingtotakea
whileforthemtodisentanglethemselvesiftheyrealizethattheirmeansof
livelihoodisunskillful.
Buttheresanothersidetorightlivelihood,andthatslookingatyourattitude
towardwhatyouconsume.Thisisoneofthereasonswhywehavethatchant
everyevening,lookingbackonouruseoftherequisitesduringtheday.Whydid
youusetherequisites?Actuallythatchantisforwhenyoudidntreflectwhile
youwereusingtherequisites.Ideally,youshouldreflectwhileyoureeating:
whyareyoueatingnow?Whenyouputonyourclothes,whyareyouputting
theseclotheson?Whenyoufixupyourhouseoryourhut,whyareyoufixingit
upinthisway?Whenyoutakemedicine,whyareyoutakingthisparticular
medicinenow?Whatsyourmotivation?
Thechantremindsyouoftheidealmotivation:Wearclothingtoprotect
yourselffromtheelements,tocoverupthepartsofbodythatcauseshame.Take
foodnottoputonbulk,notforthefunortheflavorofit.Afterall,thosewho
providedthefoodthatyoureeatingthefarmerswhoworked,theanimalswho
gaveuptheirlivesdidntprovideitinfun.Youtakethefoodsimplysoyoucan
continuepracticing,soyoucaneliminatehungerpainsandyetatthesametime
notoverstuffyourselfuntiltheresthediscomfortthatcomesfromeatingtoo
much.Yourenoteatingjustfortheflavorofthefood;youreeatingforthe
nourishmentofthebody,sothatyoucanpracticeinease.Youruseofshelter
shouldsimplybetoprotectyourselffromtheelementsandtoprovideaplace
whereyoucanbequiet,findsomeprivacy,soyoucanpractice.Andasfor
medicine,youuseittoeliminatepainandtomaintainfreedomfromdisease,
thatsall.
Whenyouthinkaboutthesethings,itforcesyoutolookatyourimpactwhen
youeat,whenyoubuyclothing,whenyoubuyanyofthesethingsandusethem:
Whatisyourimpactontheworld?Thefactthatyourealiveandbreathing
meansthatyouhavealotofneeds,andtheneedscanbemetonlybyrelyingon
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others.Whatwaycanyourelyonotherssothatyourenotharmingthemor
causingthemunnecessarypain?
Thisreflectiontiesinwithoneoftheimportantprinciplesofwhatarecalled
thecustomsoftheNobleOnes,whichiscontentmentwithyourmaterial
possessions.Whenyouthinkintheseways,youfindthatyourebuyingless,
usingless,becauseyourelookingelsewhereforyourhappiness.I.e.,youre
lookinginside.Thisiswheretheconcentrationcomesin.Thisiswhy
concentrationisanimportantelementofrightlivelihood.Itprovidesyouthe
honey,thebutter,thegrain,andtheotherfoodsyouneedforthemind,foryour
truehappinessdeepdowninside.Atthesametime,thishappinessprovidesyou
withagoodfoundationfortheinsightsthataregoingtocomeasyoustart
lookingatthevariouswaysinwhichyoukeepontakingbirth.Because,again,
thefactyouretakingbirthisplacingaburdenonotherbeings,aburdenonthe
world.
Theinsightsyouregoingtoneedtostopthatprocesscanbeprettyharsh.As
theBuddhasaid,whenyoutakefood,thinkaboutthestoryofthecouplewho
weregoingacrossthedesertwiththeironlychild.Theygotmorethanhalfway
acrossthedesertandrantotallyoutoffood.Theyrealizedthatiftheydidnteat
anything,allthreeofthemwoulddie.Sotheydecidedtokilltheirchildand
makejerkyoutofthebaby:babyjerky.Thatwayatleasttwoofthemwould
surviveandthentheycouldstartafamilyagainwhentheygottotheotherside
ofthedesert.
Now,theBuddhasaid,whatwouldbetheirattitudetowardthefoodwhile
theywereeatingit?Wouldtheybeeatingitforfun?No,theydbethinkingwith
sorrowofwhattheyhadtodointhishorriblecircumstance.That,theBuddha
said,ishowyoushouldregardphysicalfood:notsomethingyoueatoutofjoyor
fortheflavor,butsimplytokeeplifegoing,realizingthatyourhavingtoeat
causessuffering,causespain.
Thatsaharshcontemplationoneofmanyharshcontemplationsinthe
Buddhasteachings.Theonlywaythemindcanstanduptothatkindof
contemplationisifyouvegotthestrongsenseofwellbeingthatcomesfrom
nourishingthemindwithrightconcentration.Otherwise,theinsightsthatcan
comefrommeditation,ifyoudonthaveagoodsolidfoundationlikethis,canbe
disorienting,destabilizing.
Soasthefoundationforyourpractice,youwanttokeepworkingonthese
skills.Appreciatethesimplequalityofgettingthemindstill,findingasenseof
easesimplybythewayyoubreathe;gainingasenseofwellbeing,rapture,
equanimitywhenyouneedthem.Inthisway,younourishthemindwithgood
food.Thatsrightlivelihoodinthehighestsense.Itputsyouinapositionwhere,
whileyourestillalivethistimearound,youweighlightlyontheworldaround
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you.Andyouredevelopingtheskillsoyoudonthavetocomebackandweigh
theworlddownagain.ThisiswhytheBuddhasteachingsarenotselfish.
Theyreanactofkindnessbothforyouandforthewholeworldaroundyou.

100

FactionsintheMind

September14,2003

Whenyoustoptolookatyourmind,youbegintorealizethattheresawhole
committeeinthere:lotsofdifferentopinions,lotsofdifferentagendas.Yousee
thisespeciallywhenyouretryingtogetthemindtosettledown.Onepartofthe
minddecidestofocusonthebreath,butotherpartsofthemindwanttogoother
placesandcouldntbebotheredwithanythingasordinaryasthebreath.Soin
thebeginning,youhavetolearnhowtostrengthenthesideofthemindthat
wantstostay.
Youcandothisinlotsofdifferentways.First,youcanremindyourselfof
whyyourehere,ofallthegoodthingsthatcancomethroughstayingwiththe
breath:Youdevelopmindfulness,youdevelopconcentration,themindgainsa
senseofinnerpeacewhentheconcentrationgetsstrong.Youdevelopalertness:
Youbegintoseeyourownactionsalotmoreclearly,andyousensethe
importanceoftheirconsequences.Thisisimportant,asitsthebasisfor
heedfulness.Andheedfulnessissoimportantthatitwasthetopicofthe
Buddhaslastwords.Watchout,hesaid.Whenyoupractice,youhavetobe
careful.Youhavetobeheedful.Youcantbecomplacent.Thisisbecauseyour
actionsareimportant.
Thinkaboutit:TheBuddhacouldhavesaidafewlastwordsabout
somethingwonderfulorgrand:nibbana,limitlesscompassion,oremptiness.But
instead,hefocusedonheedfulnesstheprinciplethatyouractionsare
importantandyouhavetobecarefulaboutwhatyoudobecauseactionscan
takeyouinallsortsofdifferentdirections.Theyhaveresults.
Andso,asyoumeditate,remindyourselfthatyoureheretolearnhowtobe
alotcleareraboutwhatsgoingoninyourmind.Themoresteadilyand
consistentlyyoucanstaywiththebreath,thenthemoreyouseeintermsofall
thesubtlepoliticsgoingoninthemind:thepartofthemindthatwantstobe
heedfulandthepartsofthemindthatdont.Therearemanydifferentvoicesin
there,afterall,manydifferentsidestoanyquestion,notjusttwo.So,whenyou
settledowntobewiththebreath,beprepared:Lotsofothervoiceswillbe
pullingindifferentdirections.Anditsnormal.Dontgetdiscouraged.Tryto
strengthenthegoodvoicesbymakingthebreathcomfortable,sothattheresan
immediatelyfeltsenseofease,asenseofwellbeingthatcomesjustbysittinghere
101
breathing.Itfeelsgoodtobreathein,feelsgoodtobreatheout.Youdonthaveto
forcethebreath,youdonthavetoholditin,youdonthavetocount.Letthe
breathcomeinandoutatwhateverrhythmfeelsgoodforthebody.Ifthe
rhythmkeepschanging,fineaslongasitfeelsgood.Beontopofeachbreath.
Makesureitfeelsrightforthebody,cominginandgoingout.
Asyoudothis,yougetmoreandmoresensitive,whichmeansthatyoucan
getmoreandmorepreciseinwhatyouredoing.Themorepreciseandsensitive
youare,themoreabsorbingthebreathbecomes.Theeasieritistostayhereso
thatthismindful,alertfactionofthemindgetsstronger.Itdoesntgetkickedout
soeasily.Ordinarily,whenthefactionsofgreed,anger,anddelusiontakeover
themind,theykickoutthemindfulnessandalertness;theydontwantanybody
aroundwatching.Itslikepoliticianswhentheyrediscussingacorruptdeal:
Theydontwantjournalistsintheroom;theydontwantanybodytoseeorhear
whattheyredoing.
Younoticethiswhenpartofthemindwantstodosomethingunskillful,
somethingitknowsitshouldntbedoing:Ittriestokickoutyouralertness,kick
outyourmindfulness.Itdoesntwanttohearwhattheyhavetosay.Thatshow
itcanthengoaheadanddothosethings.Butifmindfulnessandalertness
developastrongholdhereinthepresentmoment,theycanrefusetobudge.
Theycanstandinthewayofanyunskillfuldecisions.
Thisiswhyitsimportanttokeephangingontothebreathandallowingthe
breathtofeelgood,tofeelclearinthedifferentpartsofthebody.Thisishow
youexercisemindfulnessandalertnesssothattheygrowstrong.Whereveryou
cansensethebreath,focusonthat.Thenletthedifferentbreathingsensations
connectsothattheyfeelallaroundgood.Thisgivesmindfulnessandalertnessa
reallysolidplacetosettlein.Andinthiswayyoucanturnthefactthatthemind
isacommitteetoyouradvantage.Inotherwords,whengreed,anger,and
delusionthreatentotakeoverthemind,theydontgetthewholemind.You
haveanotherfactionofthecommitteethatsaysNo.Wedontwanttogothere,
becauseweknowbetter.
Thisiscalledhavingasenseofshame,asenseofcompunction:afearofthe
consequencesofevil.Ordinarily,wedontliketohearaboutthewordshame,
butitsimportantthatweunderstandwhattheBuddhameantbytheword
shame.Itsnotbeingashamedofyourself;itsbeingashamedoftheideaof
doingsomethingyouknowyoushouldntdo.Yourealizethatitsbeneathyou.
Inthissense,shameisaresultnotoflowselfesteembutofhighselfesteem.You
knowbetterthantodothosethings.Yourenotthekindofpersonwhoreally
wantstodothosethings.Sowhenyouhavemindfulnessandalertnessonyour
side,thatsenseofshamebecomesanimportantprotectorofthemind,a
protectorofyourfuture.
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Thesamewithcompunction,thefearoftheconsequencesofdoingevil:
Thatsaskillfultypeoffear.Itswise.Theunskillfulpartofthemindsays,I
dontcarewhatthelongtermconsequencesare.Iwantpleasurerightnow.Im
goingtomakemyprofitsrightnowandrun.Butasenseofcompunctionlooks
tothefutureandsays,Idontwanttogothere.Nomatterhowmuchfunthis
mayberightnow,evenifIrunIwontescapetheconsequences.
Sowhenmindfulnessandalertnesshavedevelopedthisbeachheadherein
thepresentmomentandcanstayrightherewiththebreath,thenthesequalities
ofshameandcompunctioncomeandhelp,strengthenyourheedfulness,
strengthenyourlackofcomplacency,strengthenthegoodmembersofthe
committee,thegoodfactionsofthemind.Youvegotaplacewheretheycanall
bandtogetherandworkinunison.
Inthepast,thegoodmembersofthecommitteewereallseparated.They
didntworktogether.Likethehummingbirdsatthefeederwhocantband
togethertofightoffabiggerbird,theygotbeatenoutbytheothermoreforceful
factions,theunskillfulfactionsofthecommittee.Butnowyouvegiventhema
cornerofthemindwheretheywontbudge,wheretheygrowstrongerandbegin
totakeover.Whentheytakeover,itsnotthattheyregoingtoabusetheother
side.Infact,astheseskillfulmembersofthecommitteetakeover,thewhole
committeelearnsthatitcanlivemoreandmorepeacefullywithitself.
Havingthiscornerofthemindhelpsyoustepbackandseethemindforwhat
itis,toseewhatsgoingwrong.Withoutthiscornerhere,youretotally
immersedinunskillfulstatesandcantseeawayoutatall.Butifyouremind
yourselfthatthemindisacommittee,theneventhoughunskillfulthingsare
comingupinthemind,yourememberthattherecanstillbeapartofyouthat
keepswatching,keepsmindful,alert.Bystandingonthebreath,yougaina
betterperspective:Yourenottotallyinyourhead;yourealsoinyourbody.That
takesyououtofthebackandforthofthethoughtsinyourmind.Thisseparate
perspectiveiswhatallowsthemindtotrainitself.
AstheBuddhasaid,trainingthemindissomethingyouhavetodofor
yourself.Otherpeoplecantdoitforyou.Theycanpointouttheway,butthe
actualworkissomethingyouhavetodo.Therewouldseemtobeaparadox
there.Ifthemindwereonesolidunit,itwouldntbeabletoteachitselfanything
new.Ifitweredefiled,itwouldbetotallydefiledandwouldntbeabletoclean
upitsownact.Thisistheassumptionbehindtheideathatwecantdothiswork
ourselves,thatweneedoutsidehelpandhavetodependonsomeother,outside
power.Butthefactisthattherearelotsofdifferentyous,lotsofdifferentminds
inthemind.Whenyoulearntoturnthatfacttoyouradvantagestrengthening
thegoodvoices,notallowingthemtogetpushedoutwhenunskillfulstates
comeinyoufindthatthemindcantrainitself.Inotherwords,thegood
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committeememberscanbandtogetherandstarttrainingthelessskillfulones,
themoreshortsightedones,teachingthemtolookatthingsinalonger
perspective.
Thisishowyoucanbringthemindtoasenseofunity,whenallthedifferent
factionsrealizethatitsintheirbestinteresttoundergothistraining.Theyall
startworkingtogetherinsteadofatcrosspurposes.Thisgivesthemindstrength.
Ifitdecidestoworkonaproject,itllseetheprojectthrough.Ifitsfacedwith
painanddifficulty,allthepartsofthemindworktogethersothatyoudont
causeyourselfsuffering.
Thesearesomeoftheadvantagesthatcomefromtrainingthemindtostay
withthebreath.Ifyoufinditdifficulttostaywiththebreath,ifyoucantquite
getitcomfortableyet,atleastremindyourselfthatyoureheadedintheright
direction.Youreworkingonimportantskillshere.Eventhoughtheymaytake
time,whateveramountoftimethatittakesiswellinvested,wellspent.That
senseofconvictionwillseeyouthroughthedifficultpatchesandremindyou
thattheyrenotalwaysgoingtobethatway:Theyrejustpatches.Ifyoustick
withthetraining,youdevelopthesequalitiesofthemind,which,atthe
beginning,seemtobeprettyweakmindfulnessandalertnesscanseemawfully
ordinaryandverymomentarybutwhenyougetthemworkingtogether,you
findthattheydevelopstrengthsyouwouldnthaveimaginedbefore.

104

AWarriorsStronghold

November10,2006

Sitwithyourbackstraight,facingstraightahead,andyoureyesclosed.Place
yourhandsonyourlap,righthandontopofyourleft,andnoticeyour
breathing.Wheredoyoufeelthebreathing?Whatarethesensationsinthebody
thattellyounowthebreathiscomingin,nowthebreathisgoingout?Focuson
thosesensations.Allowthemtofeelrelaxed.Therewillbeacertainamountof
tensionwhenyoufirstmeditate,becauseyourenotusedtofocusingonone
thingforlongperiodsoftime,especiallysomethingassubtleandimmediateas
thebreath.Forthemostpart,weremoreusedtofocusingonourideasand
emotions,oronthingsoutside.Soittakesawhileforthemindtogetusedto
beingathome,focusingonsomethinginsidethebody.
Allowthesensationofthebreathingtobeasrelaxedaspossible.Thinkofthe
breathenergyassomethingthatalreadyfillsthebody.Asyoubreathein,youre
simplyaddingmorebreathenergy,infusingitintotheenergyalreadythere.
Whenyoubreatheout,yourenottryingtosqueezeeverythingout.Ifallofthe
breathweresqueezedoutofthebody,youwoulddie.Sotrytofindtheright
balance.Atwhatpointdoesanoutbreathstartfeelinguncomfortable?When
yousensethatpoint,stopbreathingout;startbreathingin.Atwhatpointdoes
aninbreathstartfeelinguncomfortable?Stopthereandallowyourselfto
breatheoutagain.Learnhowtosurfthebreathinthesamewayyoudsurfa
wave.Inotherwords,trytomaintainabalancedsenseofeaseinthebody
whetherthewavetendsrightorleft.Thatsenseofeaseisgoingtobeyourfriend.
Withoutthatsenseofease,themindstartsflailingaround,graspingatall
kindsofotherthings.Theideamayseemstrange,butthemoreeaseyoucan
createforyourselfinside,themoreyoureactuallycreatingagiftfortheworld
aroundyou.Ifyoudonthavethisinnersenseofeaseandwellbeing,themind
startsgraspingatthingsoutside,latchingontothingsoutside,hopingtobuild
somekindofhappinessthere.Thatplacesaburdenonotherpeople.Butwhen
youremoreselfsufficientlikethis,yourelessgrasping.Yourecreatinglessofa
burden.
Oneoftheimagesofawellconcentratedmindisofalotussaturatedwith
water.Somelotusflowersdontevergetupabovethewater.Theyjuststay
immersedunderthesurface,saturatedwithwaterfromtheirrootsuptothetip.
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Trytothinkofyourbodyasbeingsaturatedinthesamewaywithacoolsenseof
ease.Thatlotuscanbeyourgift,bothtoyourselfandtothepeoplearoundyou.
Atthesametime,youreestablishingagoodbasiswithinthebodyforaclear,
mindfulstateofmind,analertstateofmind.Alltoooftenouremotionstake
overthebody.Whenfearcomesin,theresareactioninyourheartbeat.
Hormonesstartgettingpouredintotheblood,changingyourheartbeat,
changingthewayyoubreathe,creatingtensioninthedifferentmusclesofthe
body.
Whentheresanger,whentheresfear,alltheseemotionscreatechangesin
thebody.Theybasicallytakeitover.Themindthenfeelsthatitsbeenusurped,
anditgoesalongwithwhatevertheemotionis.Itslikeacoup.Angercomesin,
anditmaynotbewellthoughtthrough,itmaynotactuallybeinyourbest
interesttoactontheanger,buttheangerseemstohaveseizedpower.Soyougo
alongwithit.Thenafterwards,youaskyourself,Whydidthathappen?Why
didIletmyselffallforthat?Thesamewithfear,thesamewithalloftheseother
emotions:Theyseemtotakeoverthemind.
Theystartbytakingoverthebody.Soyourfirsttacticinlearninghowto
counteractthemistogetthebodyonyourside.Getfamiliarwithhowgood
breathingfeels.Thenwhenanotheremotioncomesin,youcanrealizethat
althoughtheemotionmaycreateacertainreactioninthebody,itdoesnthaveto
possessthewholebody,justasitdoesnthavetopossessthewholemind.
Ordinarily,wetendtobeunskillfulinhowwerelatetoouremotions.Oneof
theimportantskillsinmeditationislearningmoreskillfulwaysofhandling
them.Forthemostpart,wethinkwehavetoeithergiveintotheemotionorelse
todenythatitsthere,justtotallyrepressitoutofexistence.Ofcourse,repressing
itdoesntreallygetridofit.ItjustgoesundergroundlikeTheThingandsends
uptentaclessomeplaceelse.Andsimplygivingintotheemotiondoesntgetrid
ofiteither.Yousimplyturnitintobadkamma,whichwillcomebackandget
yousomeday.
Butasyoumeditate,yourelearningalternativewaysofdealingwiththese
emotions,sothatyoudonthavetogiveintothem,butatthesametimeyou
dontpretendthattheydontexist.Youadmitthattheyrethere,butyoualso
admitthattheydonthavetotakeoverthewholebody.Thisrequires
concentration,itrequiresmindfulness,alongwithsomediscernmentthe
discernmentbeingtherealizationthatjustbecausetheresanemotioninthe
mind,itdoesntmeanthatitsyourtruefeelingaboutsomething.Itssimplya
feelingthatcameup,adesirethatcameuptoreactinacertainway.
Butyouhaveotherdesiresaswell,suchasthedesirenottodosomething
foolishandunskillful.Thatsadesiretobecultivatedandstrengthened.Oneway
ofstrengtheningitistogiveititscornerofthebodyaswell.Thehormonesmay
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beracingthroughyourbloodstream,butyoucanstilldeterminethewayyoure
goingtobreathe.Youcancounteractwhatthehormonesaredemandingby
consciouslybreathinginanotherway.Itmaynotfeelallthatsatisfyingtohave
onlyonecornerofthebody,butsometimesawisewarriorwillrealizethathe
cantdefendhiswholeterritory.Soyouestablishabaseinonepartandthen,
fromthatonepart,youcaneventuallyreclaimtherestofyourbody.
Thisalsomeansdevelopingtheproperattitudewhenthingsarenotgoingthe
wayyoudlikethemto.Problemscomeup,andyoudrathernothavethose
particularproblems.Saunasgetsetonfire.Youdrathernothavethesaunaset
onfire,butyoudontgiveintoyourregretforthesauna.Youdowhathastobe
donetoputthefireoutandkeepitfromspreading.Stormscomein,knockdown
trees.Youdontgorunningaroundoutsidetryingtopushthetreesbackupin
themidstofthestorm.Youfindasafeplacetostayandwaituntilthestormis
over.Youtellyourself,Illsurveythedamagewhenthestormhaspassed,but
inthemeantimeIlljusthunkerdownrighthere.Insteadofgettingupsetabout
howmuchdamagemightbedone,youfocusonmaintainingyoursafetyand
calm.
Wevehadacoupleofreallybadstormshereatthemonastery:somuchwind
andsomuchrain,andallyoucoulddowasfindasafehutwhereyouwerefairly
surethehutwouldntgetblowndownontopofyou.Asfortherestofthe
orchard,ithadtotakecareofitselfuntilthingsweresafeenoughforyoutocome
backoutside.
Trytodevelopthesameattitudetowardemotionalstormsinyourmindand
yourbody.Keepthinkingofthemindasacommittee.Therearelotsofpeoplein
there,lotsofideas,someofwhicharehelpful,someofwhichareactually
destructivetoyourownwellbeing.Youcantregardthedestructiveonesasyour
owntrueemotionsoryourowntrueideas.Theymaybereal,buttheyrenotthe
trueyou.
AjaanLeehasagoodwayofthinkingaboutthesethings.Hesaysyouhave
lotsofgermsandwormsandotherthingsinyourbody,somaybethesethoughts
comingthroughyourbrainareactuallytheirthoughts.Afterall,theyregoing
throughyourbloodstream,thebloodstreamisgoingthroughyourbrain,sowho
knowswhosresponsibleforthinkingwhatthought?Justkeepingthat
perspectiveinmindhelpspullyoubackwhenyouretemptedtojumprightinto
thethought.Yourenotdenyingthatthethoughtsarethere;yousimplyrealize
thatyouhavethechoiceastowhethertotakethemon,todevelopthem.The
sameholdstruewhenthebodyisntfeelingwell.
Yourmeditationmaynotbegoingaswellasyoudlikeitto,butyoudont
giveup,youdontjustthrowitaway.Youjustloweryourimmediate
expectations.Youloweryourdemandsonthemeditation.Again,likeaskillful
107
warrior:Whenyoufindthatyoucantdefendthewholeterritory,youfindone
littlecornerthatyoucandefend,andyoutakethatasyourstronghold.
Thisiswhyitsveryusefultohaveaveryfluidsenseofyourself.Asa
meditator,yourenotaskedtogiveupyoursenseofselftotallyrightfromthe
start.Youjustlearnhowtouseyoursenseofselfmoreskillfully.Makeitmore
adaptable.Whensomepartsofthebodyarereallypainful,establishyour
strongholdinthepartsthatyoucanmakemorecomfortable,throughtheway
youbreathe,thewayyourelaxyourmusclesaroundthem.Then,fromthis
positionofrelativestrength,ifyouhavetheenergy,youcanstartlookinginto
thepain.
Learnhowtomakethedistinctionbetweenfeelingsensationsandbody
sensations.Bodysensationsarethingslikewarmth,coolness,solidity,energy
whatarecalledthefourelementsorthefourproperties.Feelingsensationsare
thefleetingsensationsofpleasureandpain.Thoseareverydifferentsortsof
thingsthefeelingsensationsandthebodysensationsbutwetendtoglom
themalltogether.Inparticular,iftheresapainyoutendtoglomittogetherwith
sensationsofsolidity,sothatyourkneeissolidpain,oryourheadissolidpain.
Thenyoustartusingthepainedpartstodoyourbreathing,whichmakesthings
evenworse.
Butwhenthemindisintherightposition,withtherightattitude,youcan
lookintothepain,notwiththeideaofmakingitgoaway,butwiththeideaof
understandingit:Okay,whichsensationsinherearepainsensations,which
onesareearth,liquid,firesensations?Ifyouhavetoholdontosomething,hold
ontothebodysensations,andletthepaingo.Letitdoitsfleeting,flitting
aroundthing.Or,evenbetter,holdonjusttotheawarenessthatsawareofthese
differentsensations,thequestionthatmakesthesedistinctions,ifyoucan
separatetheawarenessandthequestionout.Thatswherediscernmentcomesin.
Ifyoudonthavetheenergytodothiskindofquestioning,atleastmaintain
yoursenseofstrongholdinanotherpartofthebody.Guardagainstthethoughts
commentingonhowlongthepainorexhaustionhasbeengoingon,orhow
muchlongeritmightgoon.Dontthinkaboutthosethings,fortheyrenot
helpfulatall.Thehelpfulthoughtsaresaying,HowdoImaintainmy
awarenessrightnow?HowdoIdealwiththesensationImfeelingrightnow?
Asforthesensationofthepainyoufelttwosecondsago,youcanletitgo.Its
notthereanymore.Allthatsthereisyourmemoryofitandthestoriesyouve
builtaroundit.Asforhowmanymorehours,ordays,orweeksthepainisgoing
tokeepgoingon,dontthinkaboutthosethings.Otherwise,youweighthe
presentmomentdownwithtoolongastretchoftime,toomanyburdens,soof
courseitsgoingtocavein.Giveitjustthedutyofbeingwiththepresent
moment.Thoughtsofwhoyouwereinthepastorwhoyouregoingtobeinthe
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futureareunskillfulideasofselfrightnow.Adjustyoursenseofwhoyouareto
fittheamountofwellbeingyoucanactuallymaintain.Thatcanbeyour
stronghold.
So,learntobeawarrior.Sometimeswarriorshavetoadmittemporarydefeat,
sometimestheyhavetogointoretreat,buttheydonttotallygivein.They
simplyadjusttheirtacticstodealwiththesituationasitpresentsitself.Justlike
thesituationinThailandwhenEnglandandFranceweregobblingupcolonies:
Thailandhadtogiveupsomeofitsprovinces.Itwaseitherthatorelsegiveup
itsindependenceentirely.SotheThaiswerewillingtomakesacrificesinorderto
maintainatleastsomethingoftheirsovereignty.AsaThaisayinggoes,ifyou
havetogiveupyourarmtosaveyourlife,chooseyourlifeoverthearm.There
aretimeswhenthebodyissickandyouhavetogiveupyoursenseofyourselfas
beingstrongandhealthyatleastforthetimebeing.Okay,Imsick.Ivegotto
dealwiththissicknesswiththetoolsIvegot.Donttotallygivein.
Thesamewithyouremotions:Sometimesyouremotionsgetreallystrong,
andyouhavetolielow.Theemotionisthere,butyoudonthavetoidentifywith
it.Thisisyouralternative.Youdonthavetoactontheemotionandyoudont
havetosqueezeitbehindamentalpartitionanddenythatitsthere.Youadmit
thatitsthereandthenjustlayclaimtoanotherpartofthemind,anotherpartof
thebody,asyourstrongholdforthetimebeing.Thatway,eventhoughyourein
reducedcircumstances,yourenottotallywipedout.Yourestilldeveloping
someveryimportanthabits:thepatience,endurance,concentration,
mindfulness,anddiscernmentthatwillserveyouingoodsteadnomatterwhat
thesituation.
TheBuddhaneverpromisedusthateverythingwasgoingtobelovelyinthe
presentmoment,orthatallyouhavetodoisthinknicethoughtsandtheworld
willbeniceinreturn.Hekeepshavingusreflectonthefactthataging,illness,
anddeatharenormal.Theworldissweptaway,hesays.Itdoesnotendure.It
offersnoshelter.Thereisnooneincharge.But,hesays,herearethetoolsfor
findinghappinessinthemidstofaworldthatsgettingsweptawayallthetime.
Theseareyourweapons;thisisyourstronghold.Justmakesurethatyou
maintainthatheartofawarriorandthewisdomofawarriorwhoknowswhich
battlesareworthtakingon,whichareworthdropping,whichonesareworth
avoiding.Thatwisdomiswhatwillseeyouthrough.
109

HowtoBeAlone

December7,2007

Asaculture,wedonthavemuchpracticeinbeingalone,eventhough
modernWesterncultureisunusualintheamountofprivacyitoffersinits
homes.Eversincethe19thcentury,peopleintheWesthavesleptinprivate
bedroomsmorethanatanyothertimeinhistory,oranyothercultureinhistory.
Youdthinkthatthatwouldhelpusdevelopsomeskillsinbeingbyourselves.
Butthatsveryrarelythecase.Whenyourealoneinyourroom,yourenotreally
alone.Backinthe19
th
century,whenpeoplestartedlivinginprivatebedrooms,
salesinnovelsshotup.Nowinthe21
st
theyhaveallsortsofcompanionsintheir
rooms:books,magazines,TV,ortheInternet.Andsowithalltheseclamorous
companions,wedonthavemuchpracticeinbeingalone,lookingafter
ourselves.
Thatpassagewechantedjustnow:MayIlookaftermyselfwithease.It
doesntrefertojustbeingphysicallyatease.Italsomeanslearninghowtolook
afteryourownmind,gettingasenseofhowtocorrectitsimbalances.Thisisone
ofthetreasuresthattheBuddhasteachingshavetooffer,inthatitgivesyou
somepointersinhowtolookafteryourself,howtobealoneandnotgocrazy,
hownottogetoffbalance,learninghowtobeselfcorrecting,selfgoverning.
SeveralyearsbackwhenthebookIntotheWildcameout,Iwasstruckbyhow
muchtheprotagonisthadtoreinventtheDhammawheelinfiguringouthowto
liveanauthenticlife,howtobealonefacingthewildernesswithjustthe
companyofhisownmind.Hedidnthavemanygoodresourcestodrawon:a
fewbooksalittlebitofThoreau,alittlebitofTolstoyandalotofideas,most
ofwhichwereuntested.Icouldnthelpthinkingthatifhedbeenbornin
Thailand,hemightnothavedied,fortheyhaveawholetraditiontheBuddhas
teachingsthatactsasastorehouseofwisdomonhowtobealone.Andthe
Sanghaprovidesanopportunitytolearndirectlyfrompeoplewhovehadlotsof
timealone,leadingapurposefullife,andhavecomeoutstrongerasaresult.
SoitsgoodtolookintotheBuddhasteachingsnotonlyfortechniquesinthe
meditation,butalsofortheattitudesyouneedinlookingafteryourself.Now,the
techniquesareimportant.Theygiveyouagoodmeasuringstickforhowthings
aregoingasyourealone;theygiveyousomethingspecifictodo,atasktofocus
on,soastocreateasenseofpurposeovertime,andofwellbeinginthepresent
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momentbybeingwithyourbreath.Attheveryleast,youlearnhowtoapproach
fromthephysicalsidewhatevermindstateiscominginandoppressingyou.
Mindstatesallhaveaneffectonthebreath,butthebreathcanalsohaveaneffect
onthem.Ifyourenotskillful,thiscouldbecomeaviciouscircle.Youstart
breathinginweirdways,andthatputsyouinabadmood,andthenthebad
moodmakesthebreathinggetevenstranger,andyougospiralingdown.
Workingwiththetechniquesofbreathmeditationisonewayofcuttingthose
viciouscircles,givingyouahandleonyourstateofmind.Butitsalsoimportant
thatyouuserightviewinlearninghowtostepbackfromyourstateofmindand
evaluateit.Tobeginwith,rightviewallowsyoutoseewhereyourthinkinghas
goneoffcourse.Andsecond,itallowsyoutorealizethatyoudonthavetobe
immersedinamood.Oneofthebasicprinciplesofrightviewistheprincipleof
kamma,andoneoftheprinciplesofkammaisthatwehavefreedomofchoicein
thepresentmoment.Yetthisisanareawherethewrongviewsofourcultureget
intheway.Wetendtothinkthatourmoodsareourrealself.Wetendnotto
trustourthoughtsbecauseweknowwevepickedupalotofideasfromthe
mediaandotherpeoplearoundus,butourmoodsandemotionsseemtobe
genuinelyours,whoweareinthepresentmoment.ThisiswheretheBuddhas
teachingsonunderstandingyourselfareimportant.Youdonthavetoidentify
withyourmood.Thereisalwaysaspotinthemindthatsjustsimplyawareof
thesethings.Andyouwanttolearnhowtostandinthatspot.
Again,themeditationishelpfulinthisregardbecauseitteachesyoutocreate
astateofmindandthenstepbackandlookatit.AsinAjaanLeesanalogyof
learninghowtomakebaskets:Youmakeabasket,thenyoustepbackandlook
atit.Isittoolong?Tooshort?Istheweavingcoarseandirregular?Seewhatsnot
rightandthenbringthatobservationalongwhenyoumakeanotherbasket,and
thenanotherone.Ifyoucanlearntolookatyourmoodsasbasketsi.e.,not
whoyoureallyare,butsimplythingsyouvecreatedthenyoucanstart
workingontherawmaterialsandmakebetterones.Butitsimportantthatyou
havethisabilitytostepback.
OneoftheimagesintheCanonisofapersonsittingdownlookingat
someonewhoslyingdown,orapersonstandingwhoslookingatsomeone
sittingdown.Inotherwords,youstepbackabit,youreslightlyabovewhats
justhappened,andyouevaluateit.
ThatsthesecondpartoftheBuddhasapproach:notonlyhavingaplaceto
stepbackbutalsohavinggoodstandardstoevaluatethings.Forinstance,when
youreinabadmood,thereisatendencyespeciallyifyoureintheWestto
say,HereIam.ImfinallybeinghonestwithmyselfandImmiserable.Im
horrible.Mylifeisgoingnowhere.Wetendtothinkthatthatsgettingdownto
thetruefactsofthesituation,becauseitssoharsh.Butwhyshouldwebelieve
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that?Andinwhatwayisithelpful?Youmightsay,Well,itsbettertobe
realisticthanlivinginfantasies,butyourbadmoodisjustamood.Itdoesnt
guaranteethetruthofwhatyouseewhileyoureinthatmood.Anditsalsoself
defeating,forastheBuddhapointsout,itspossibletochangeyourmoodandto
createmoodsthatarealotmoreusefulinthepractice.Thatswhyoneofthe
stepsinbreathmeditationislearninghowtogladdenthemindwhenitneedsto
begladdened.Inotherwords,seewherethemoodisleadingyou,andifyou
dontlikethedirectionitsheading,realizethatyourefreetolookatthingsina
differentway.Yourenotcommittedtothemood;afterall,itsnotcommittedto
you.Itcomesandgoeswithoutaskingyourpermission,soyoudontneedits
permissiontopushitout.
Duringmyfirstyearsasamonk,thiswasaveryimportantpartofthe
training:notonlyhavingthebreathmeditationtechniquetodealwithwhatever
wascomingup,butalsohavingtheopportunitytotalkwithsomeonesane
AjaanFuangwhohadalotofexperienceinbeingaloneandlearningtogauge
whatwasahealthymoodandwhatwasanunhealthyone.Hehadlearnedthat
regardlessofhowtrueyoumightthinkthemoodis,youvegottolookatits
effects.Whereisitleadingyou?Afterall,wereheretofollowapath.Soyoucan
askyourself,whatkindofpathisadepressedmood?Whatkindofpathisan
unhealthymood?Itsnotadecentpathatall.Itsapathdownward,notthepath
youwanttofollow.
Soagain,remindyourselfthatthesemoodsarenotnecessarilytrue;theyre
notnecessarilyyou.Theyrelikeasetofclothing:Youcanchoosetoputthemon
oryoucantakethemoff.Thebreathprovidesyouwithaplacetostepbackand
lookatyourself,thewayyoudlookatyourselfinamirror.TheDhammagives
youasetofstandardsforjudgingwhatlooksgoodinthemirror,whatdoesnt,
whatshealthyandwhatsnotrealizingthatsometimesthethingsthatwere
supposedtoabandonattheendofthepathareactuallyahelpalongtheway.
TheresthatsuttawhereAnandatalksabouthowdesireisoftenhelpfulinthe
path,conceitcanbehelpfulinthepathinotherwordsthedesiretodowell,the
conceitthatsays,Otherpeoplecandothis,whycantI?Thoseareactually
usefultoolsinthepath.
Alltheskillswetendtoassociatewithahealthyegoarealsohelpfulinthe
path.Forexample,anticipation:learninghowtoanticipatedangeri.e.,tosee
thedangerinwallowinginamood.IntheBuddhaslanguage,thisiscalled
heedfulness.Suppression:Theskillsthatallowyouskillfullytosuppressmoods
thatyouknowarenothelpful.Youdontrepressthemood;yousimplyrealize
thatyourenotgoingtogorunningalongwithwhatevermoodcomesrunning
intothemind.Ifyouseethatitsanunskillfulmood,youstandyourgroundand
usetheskillsofthemeditationtocutitofffromitssourcesofstrength.Andyou
112
usetheskillsofshameandcompunctiontheseareskills,ifyouknowhowto
usethemrighttoremindyouofwhyyoudontreallywanttofollowamood
thatwouldleadyoutodosomethingunprincipledorharmful.
Anotherimportantegoskillissublimation,whichmeansfindinganother
kindofpleasure,anotherwayoflookingatthings,toreplaceyourcurrentmood
withabetterone.Thisiswhatjhanaisallabout:providingaharmlesskindof
pleasurethatyoucantapintoatalltimes,toprovideyouwiththefoodyouneed
sothatyoudontgohungeringafterunskillfulpleasures.Anotherskillishumor,
theabilitytolaughatyourfoiblesnotinanasty,sarcasticway,butinagood
natured,largeheartedway.Thesurestsignthatyouvedroppedamoodiswhen
youseehowludicrousitis.Andthentheresaltruism,realizingthatinlearning
tolookafteryourself,yourealsohelpingotherpeople.RemembertheBuddhas
famoussuttaonthetwoacrobats,wheretheyrealize,IfIlookaftermysenseof
balance,andyoulookafteryoursenseofbalance,thatshowweregoingtoget
downsafelyfromthispolewerestandingon.Inotherwords,remindyourself
thatitsnotaselfishthingtoknowhowtolookafteryourself;yourenotjust
gazingatyourbellybutton.Youreactuallyprovidinghelptoothers.Ifyoucant
lookafteryourself,youbecomeaburdentoothers.
ThisiswhytheBuddha,inhisinstructionsonbreathmeditation,included
theabilitytogladdenthemindwhenitneedstobegladdenedbothintermsof
thewayyoubreathe,andintermsofthewayyoulearntothinkandtalkto
yourself.Thisinvolvesyourabilitytostepbackandusethebreathasavantage
pointonwhateverthedepressedmoodmightbe,andindevelopingasetof
valuesthathelpyoutorecognizethatthisissomethingyoudontwanttoget
involvedwith.Actually,theresnolimittothenumberofthetoolsthatcanprove
usefulhere:anythingyouvelearnedabouttohowtochangeamoodbythe
wayyoubreathe,bythewayyoulookatthings,bywhatyoufocuson,whatyou
choosetojustletgo.
Therearealsotheskillsofsteadyingthemindwhenthenewmoodyoure
tryingtocreateisstillunstable.Whatcanyoudotomakeitmoreandmore
solid?Andthentherearetheskillsofreleasingthemind,knowinghowtofree
themindfromarelativelyskillfulmoodtoreachanevenmoreskillfulone.Even
whenyouvedevelopedaskillfulmood,youcanthensay,Okay,thiscantake
meonlysofar.Whatkindofmoodwouldtakemefurther?
TheresapassagewheretheBuddhatalksaboutameditatorwhofinds,as
hesfocusingonthebreath,thattheresafeverinhismind.Soheneedsto
changehistopicforthetimebeing,tofindsomethingmoreinspiring,more
uplifting.ThatcouldincludereflectingontheBuddha,theDhamma,theSangha,
orwhateveryoufindinspiringthatrelatestothepractice.Thenfinally,once
youvegotthemindinamuchbettermood,whenitsfeverhassubsided,youcan
113
gobacktothebreath,andthemindcanreallysettledown.Itcandropallthat
thinkingandgotoaplacethatsalotmorestill,solid,andbuoyant.
Sowhenyoufindyourselfovertakenbyamood,orifyourenotreallysure
abouthowyoushouldapproachthemeditationwhenthingsaregoingpoorly,
keepthesepointsinmind.Andyoushouldalsokeeptheminmindwhenthings
aregoingawfullywell.Wesometimesfeelembarrassedtocongratulate
ourselvesonhowthingsaregoing,butthatembarrassmentdoesnthelpatall.
Recognizingwhenthemeditationisgoingwellandlearninghowtoappreciate
whenitsgoingwellwillgiveyouareferencepoint.Whenyoustartgetting
discouragedaboutthewholeprocess,youcanrememberthatthereweretimes
whenitwentwell.Anditsreallyworthwhatevereffortittakestogetitgoing
wellagain.
Sotobeabletolookafteryourownmindandtothriveatbeingalone,you
needawholesetofskills.Youneedaspotwhereyoucanstepbackandlookat
things,therightsetofattitudesthathelpyougaugethesituationforwhatitis,
andthenskillsincreatingandmaintainingabettermood.Thisishowyoulook
afteryourselfwithease.Theskillsthatenableyoutobemorematureingeneral,
alsohelpmakeyouamorematuremeditator.Inthisway,asyoumeditate,you
becomeyourownbestfriend,insteadofyourownworstenemy.Youlearnhow
tohandlebeingalone.Anditsonlywhenyoucanhandlebeingalonethatyou
canreallyhandlebeingwithotherpeople.Youdontgetsweptawaybytheir
ideasortheirmoods,andyoucanactuallybecomeasourceofstabilityintheir
livesaswell.
Sokeepthisinmindwhen,say,inthemiddleofanafternoon,thingsdont
seemtobegoingsowell.Getupandwalkaroundabit.Cleanoutthetoolshed.
Hikeupthemountain.Anythingthatworks.Oneofmystudents,amonkin
Thailand,oncesaidthathedgetrestlesssometimeswhenhewasstayingalone
inthewilderness,sohedhikeoverafewmountains,justtogetridofthe
restlessness.Anythingthatworksingettingyououtofanunskillfulmoodand
intoamoreskillfuloneonethatsreadytosettledownisanimportantpartof
themeditation.
114

LovefortheDhamma

October7,2003

BackwhenAjaanMunwasalive,scholarlymonkswouldsayofmeditating
monks,Whatcantheyknow?Theysitwiththeireyesclosed.Whatcanthey
see?Theyrestillaskingthatquestiontoday:Whatcanmeditatorsseewith
theireyesclosed?Ofcoursetheansweristhattheyseetheirownminds.
Scholarlymonkswouldsay,Herewespendyearslookingthroughthebooks,
andwestilldontfullyunderstandthem.Howcanyouunderstandthemby
sittingtherewithyoureyesclosed?Theansweristhattherealproblemsinlife
dontlieinbooks.Bookscontainonlythenamesoftheproblems.Thereal
problemslieinthemind,whichiswhywesitherefocusingthemindonthe
breathasawayofbringingthemindintothepresentmoment,wherewecan
watchit.Weturnourgazeinward,insteadofoutward.
Whatdoyouseewhenyoulookoutward?Youseeaging,illness,anddeath.
Youseeotherpeoplesissues:theirgoodpoints,theirbadpoints.Youseethe
worldaroundyou:itsgoodpoints,itsbadpoints.Butthosearentthethingsthat
makearealdifferenceinyourlife.Thethingsthatmakearealdifferenceare
yourdecisions,thewayyoumanageyourownmind.
Thisiswhycontentmentissuchanimportantprincipleinthepractice:
contentmentintermsofwhereyouare,thesituationinwhichyoufindyourself;
contentmentintermsofyourvariousphysicalcomfortsanddiscomforts.
However,intermsofthepeoplearoundyou,youneedtofindagroupof
admirablefriends.Evenifyoufindjustoneadmirablefriend,youvegotalot
rightthere.Thatsimportant.
Dontpracticecontentmentwithyourfriends.Iftheyrenotpeoplewholive
bytheDhammaorwhospeaktheDhamma,iftheyrepeoplewhoengagein
lyingandstealinganddivisivespeech,abusivespeech,andidlechatter,thenyou
dontwanttohangaroundwiththem.AstheBuddhasaid,Ifthosearetheonly
peopleyoucanfind,itsbettertogoalone.Butonceyouvefoundagood
admirablefriend,agoodcommunityinwhichtopractice,youshouldbewilling
toputupwithalotofhardships.
ThinkagainofthetimeofAjaanMun.Hewaswayoutintheforest.People
whowantedtostudywithhimhadtogowalkingonfoot,manytimesnoteven
suretheyweregoingtofindhim,becausehewasfrequentlyonthemove.When
115
someoneshoweduptopracticewithhim,hewassurethatthatpersonreally
wantedtopracticewithhimbecausethatpersonhadalreadyputupwithalotof
hardships,notonlyinfindinghimbutalsoinstayingwithhim.
AjaanFuangonceexpressedasimilaridea.Backintheveryearliestdaysof
WatDhammasathit,itwasverydifficulttogetthere.ThetripfromBangkokto
Rayongtookalmostafullday,anditwasntaneasyride.Fromthehighwayyou
hadtogofurtheron,sixkilometersalongadirtroad,muddyandpotholed.He
saidthatbythetimepeoplecameouttoseehim,havinggonethroughallthat,
hewasconvincedthattheywerereallyseriousaboutlisteningtowhathehadto
teach,sohedbehappytoteachthem.Hesaidthatitwasalotbetterthanthe
dayswhenhelivedatWatAsokaram,ontheoutskirtsofBangkok.Anybody
withtimetokillcouldcomeoutandtrytokillhistime,too.Whoknewhow
serioustheywere,becauseitwassoeasytogetthere.
Awillingnesstoputupwithhardshipsisanimportantpartofthepractice,
butitsnotjustamatterofgrittingyourteethandbearingwiththem.The
hardshipsareessentialinhelpingyougainunderstanding.Whenthingsarent
goingwelloutside,whereareyougoingtofocusyourattention?Well,youcould
focusoutsideandjustgetupsetaboutthingsoutside,butthatdoesntaccomplish
anything.Ifyourewise,youlearnfromthehardshipsthelessonthatyouvegot
tofocusyourattentionmoreandmoreinwardly.Ifyouregoingtofind
happiness,youvegottofinditinside.Thisiswhythegreatajaanswereableto
findtheDhammaoutintheforest:Theyhadto.
Wetendtohavearomanticideaoftheforestpeaceful,green,beautiful
forestbecauseourideaofforestlifehasbecomeawfullysanitized.Actually,
therearealotofdifficultiesthere.Therearedangerousanimalsnotjustthe
tigersthatseemromanticandexciting,butalsothedaytodaythings:thebugs
andsnakesandotheranimalsthatcarrydiseases.Whenyouresurroundedby
thingslikethat,wherewillyouturn?Ournaturaltendencyistowanttolookfor
happinessintermsofsounds,sights,smells,tastes,andtactilesensations,but
whenthesethingsarentallthatpleasant,wheredoyouturn?Whenyougetsick
andtheresnodoctorormedicinearound,wheredoyouturn?Youhavetoturn
within.Beingabletokeepthemindcenteredbecomesalifeanddeathmatter.If
youcanfindthatsenseofwellbeingwithin,ifyoucanstirupthoseresourcesof
goodwillanddiscernmentthatyouregoingtoneedinordertoliveintheforest,
inspiteofthefactthatthingsseemtobeweighinginonyoufromalldirections,
thatswhereyoureallylearnthestrengthoftheDhamma,theimportanceofthe
Dhammaasarefuge.
Thisforcesyoutochooseyourpriorities:Whatsreallyimportantinyourlife?
PhysicalcomfortorthecomfortoftheDhamma?Pleasantpeoplewhodothings
thewayyoulike,orpeoplewhoteachyoutheDhamma,peoplewhoexemplify
116
theDhamma?Ahappinessthatsbasedonthingsoutside,orahappinessthat
comesfromwithin?Difficultiesontheoutsidereallyforcetheseissuesinaway
thatpleasantsurroundingsdont.Yourrealizationofthis,andyourwillingness
toactonthatrealization:ThatswhatreallymakesaDhammapractitioneroutof
youwhenyoufinallydecidethatyourenotgoingtoholdanythingback,that
thisreallyiswhatsmostimportantinlife,andyouregoingtogoatitwithout
reservations.
TheBuddhagivestheimageofanelephantgoingintobattle.Theelephant
fightswithhisfrontfeet,fightswithhisbackfeet,fightswithhisfrontquarters
andbackquarters,butheprotectshistrunkallthetime.Heisntwillingtouse
histrunkbecausehistrunkishismostsensitivepart.Theelephanttrainersees
thatandrealizesthatthiselephanthasntreallygivenhimselftotheking.Itsthe
samewhenyoubalkatdiscomfort:Itsasignyoureallyhaventgivenyourselfto
thepractice.Thewillingnesstoputupwithdiscomforts,tothriveonthem:
Thatsthemarkofatruepractitioner,someonewhoreallyhaswhattheycall
dhammachanda,desirefortheDhamma,anddhammarati,lovefortheDhamma.
Thisiswhatmakesallthedifferenceinyourpractice.Ifyouholdbackfromthe
practice,itsgoingtoholdthingsbackintermsoftheresultsyouregoingto
receive.
Wemissoutontheseresultsbecauseourmindskeepflowingout.The
Buddhatalksaboutasavas,whichcanbetranslatedaseffluents,bothinthe
sensethattheyflowout,andinthesensethattheyrenotespeciallyclean.The
forceofthesecurrentsthatcomeflowingoutofthemindcandriveusalloverthe
place.Sensualdesire,views,ignorance:Thesecurrentscomeflowingoutofthe
mind,andwetendtoridewiththem.Youdontreallyrealizehowstrongthey
arebecauseyoudonttrytowithstandthem.Asaresult,theycanpushyouall
overtheplace.Onlywhenyoudecidetoturnaroundandlookatthemasthe
mainissuewillyoubeabletoworkfreefromthem.Theproblemisthatthey
keeppointingoutwardandsaying,Look.Seethatoverthere,andthatthing
overthereissomethingyouwantorsomethingyouhate.Theykeepdeflecting
attentionawayfromthemselves.
Theyrelikepoliticians.Politiciansdotheirdirtyworkandthentheysay,See
thatpersonoverthere?Hesdoingsomethinghorrible.Theygetyouallexcited
abouttheotherpersonsoyoudontnoticewhattheyredoing.Thisisthewaythe
mindoperates.Theseasavaskeepflowingout,flowingout,pushingyouinall
kindsofdirections.Towithstandthem,astheBuddhasays,youhavetocreate
anislandwherethatflooddoesntoverwhelmyou.Evenifyoucantyetfindthe
ultimateislandofthetranscendent,youbuildatemporaryislandwith
mindfulnessandconcentration,sothatyourenotpushedaroundallthetime.
Thatmeanstakingastancewhereyouare.
117
Sometimes,takingastancewhereyouarerequiresmakingsomesacrifices.
Butthatswhereyoumakeyourchoice:whetheryouwanttomakethatsacrifice
orjustcontinuegoingwiththeflow.Goingwiththeflowseemseasybecauseits
morehabitual,butactuallytheresanawfullotofsufferingingoingwiththe
effluentflow.Youneverknowwhereitsgoingtopushyou.Likeaflooding
river,itsometimeshitsyouwithlogsanddebris,orthrowsyouupagainsta
stonewall.Butasyoutakeyourstanceonyourislandofrighthere,rightnow,
eventhoughitmayseemmoredifficult,youbegintogetusedtoitandyou
realizethatyouwouldntwanttoliveanyotherway.Youbegintoappreciatethe
forceoftheeffluents.Youbegintoseehowtheypushyouaround,andyousee
thesufferingthatcomesasaresult.Thatswhenyourealizethatyoumadethe
rightchoicenottocontinuewithyouroldways,sloshingaroundintheworld,
butactuallytakingastanceandkeepingitsolid.
So,itrequirespowersofresistance.Weusuallyuseourpowersofresistance
toresistthings,people,situations,outside.Whatwevegottodoislearntoresist
thepushthatcomesfromwithin,thepushthatmakesuswanttofocusonthings
outside,thatdistractsourattentionfromtherealissuesbubblingupinthemind.
Thatstheothertranslationforasava,fermentation.Thesethingscome
bubblingup,andwhoknowswheretheyregoingtotakeyouifyougiveinto
them?
Asyoubegintotakeyourstance,youcometoseethevalueofnotfollowing
throughwiththosefermentationsandyouseethevalueofcontentment.You
seethatonceyoumakeyourchoice,youregoingtomaintainyourstancehereas
apersonwholovestheDhammamorethanyoulovecomfortorwhateverthe
defilementsareclamoringfor.ThatswhentheDhammareallyshowswhatan
excellentthingitis,whataworthwhilethingitis,whyitsthesortofthingyou
cangiveyourwholelifeto.Ultimatelytheteachingasksnothinglessthanthat:
thatyougiveyourselftotallytothepractice.Butwhatitgivesinreturnismore
thanalife,farmorethanworththeeffortyougiveit.
TheBuddhaoncesaidthatifyoucouldmakeadealthatsomeonewould
spearyouwithahundredspearsthreetimesadaymorning,noon,andnight
forahundredyears,withtheguaranteethatattheendofthehundredyearsyou
wouldgainAwakening,thatwouldbeadealworthtaking.Otherwise,thinkof
alltheeonsofendlesssufferingsinvolvedinrepeatedlycomingbackagainand
again.HesaidthatwhenyouattainedAwakeningasaresultofthatdeal,you
wouldnteventhinkthatyouhadattaineditwithpainandsuffering.Itwould
havecomewithjoy.So,whenyourunintohardshipsinyourdailylife,compare
themtothethreehundredspearsaday.Putthingsintoperspective.Thatllhelp
keepyouoncourse.
118

UniversalTruths

June13,2007

WhenyoumeditateduringtheDhammatalk,99%ofyourattentionshould
bewithyourbreath.LetthetalkbeinthebackgroundbecausetheDhammais
foundinsidethemind.TheDhammainwordsisjustpointers.Asyoulistento
thetalk,remindyourselfthatthewordsarepointinginsideyourmind.Ifyoure
insideyourmindpayingattentiontowhatyouredoing,yourealreadyatthe
rightplace.Youdontneedthetalk.Ifyoufindyourselfwanderingoutside,
youllrunupagainstthetalkanditllpointyoubackin,towherethereal
problemis:ignorance.
Realignoranceisnotignoranceofwordsorprinciples.Itsignoranceof
whatsgoingoninthemind.Inparticular,itsignoranceofhowyourecausing
yourselfsuffering.Inabroadersense,itsignoranceoffournobletruths:
ignoranceofwheretheressufferingrightnowandofwhatyouredoingtocause
thesuffering;ignoranceofwhatyoucouldbedoingtoputanendtothe
sufferingandofwhattheendofsufferingwouldbelike.Thosearethefour
thingsyoucouldbepayingattentionto.Theyrethingsthatarehappeningright
inside.Theyrenothappeninginthewords.Thewordssimplypointtothese
things,andespeciallytoyourexperienceofsuffering,somethingthatnobody
elseisexperiencing.Thatsufferingisascloseasyougettoreallypurelypersonal
experience.Theresnowayyoucantakeitoutandshowittous.Scientists
studyingyourbraincanseeallsortsofindicatorsthatyoumightbeinpain,but
theycantactuallyseeyoursuffering.Andtheresnowayyoucancompareyour
sufferingtoanyoneelses,toseewhossufferingmore,exactlywhatittasteslike,
orwhatitfeelslike.Butitissomethingyoucanknowforyourself.Soyoushould
payattentiontoit.
Whatthismeansisthatthefournobletruthsarenotsomeabstractteaching
whosetruthispeculiartoIndia2,600yearsago.Theyrethingshappeningright
here,rightnow,andtheyrehappeningverydirectlyinyourawareness.Tochip
awayatthatignorance,youstartbyfocusingonsomethingmoreobviously
happeningrighthere,rightnow:thebreath.IntheBuddhasanalysisof
suffering,ignoranceconditionsfabrication.Bodilyfabricationisthebreath.If
youbreathewithignorance,itcanbeaconditionforsuffering.Ifyoubreathe
withknowledgeandawareness,itcanhelpcutthroughsuffering.Itcanhelpyou
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seeyourignorancemoreclearly.Asyouseeyourignorancemoreclearly,youre
replacingitwithknowledge.Sowhenyourefocusedonthebreath,learningto
breathecomfortably,allowingthemindtorelateinacomfortablewaywiththe
breath,youretakingastandagainstignorance.Andalltheignorantthought
processesthatgoonthroughtheday:Youreputtinguparesistancetothemso
thatyoucanunderstandthem.Itsthroughunderstandingthemthatyoucango
beyondthem,transcendthem.
Theseprinciplesareuniversal.ThatswhytheBuddhacalledthemariyasacca,
whichwetranslateasnobletruths.Butthewordariya,inadditiontomeaning
noble,alsomeansstandard,inthesenseofauniversalstandard.Sothesetruths
arenotonlynoble,theyrealsouniversalstandards.Theyapplytoallofus,with
noexceptions.Theyresomethingweallhaveincommon.Weeachexperience
sufferingandthecauseofsufferingforourselvesalone,butthepatternofour
sufferingissomethingwehaveincommon,whichiswhythepathtotheendof
sufferingisuniversal.Itdoesntmatterwhatcountryyoucomefrom,whatyour
background,whatyourlanguage.Thepathworksacrosstheboardifyouapply
itinallfairness,ifyourealizethatthisissomethingthatappliestoyouasmuch
asitdoestoanyoneelse.
Mostofusliketothinkofourselvesasexceptionstotherule.Weliketothink
thatitsgoingtobedifferentforussomehow,especiallywhenyouhearofallthe
effortthatthevariousajaansputintothepractice.Wedrathernothavetodoall
thatwork.Wethinkthatmaybethingsshouldbeeasierforusbecausewere
bettereducated,ormaybeweknowmoreinourculture.Well,no,wedont.Our
problemsarejustthesameastheirs.Theymaybedressedupalittlebit
differentlyineachcase,butattheirroottheyreallthesame.AjaanFuangonce
quotedAjaanMunsayingthatpeopleareallalike,butthenifyoulookalittle
deeperyouseethattheyrereallynot,butthenwhenyoulookdeeperstill,you
seethattheyreallyare.AjaanFuangscommentonthatwas:Takethatandthink
aboutitforawhile.Therearesomedifferences,butwhatwehaveincommonis
whatsreallyimportant.
Likethechantwehadjustnow.Aging,illness,death,andseparation:These
arethingsweallhaveincommon.Thechantisalittlebitlackinginthatitsimply
remindsyouthatyouaresubjecttoaging,subjecttoillness,subjecttodeath.Or
asintheThaitranslation,thesethingsarenormalforyou.Youresubjecttobeing
separatedfromthingsthatyoulove.Lifestartsout,yourealwayslearningnew
things,gainingnewthings,butthenitreachesapointwheretheyallstartgoing
away.Whatyoudohaveleftisyouractions.Youwillfallheirtowhatyoudo,
say,andthink.Andtheresultsdependonwhetherwhatyoudo,say,andthink
isskillfulornot.
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AstheBuddhasaid,thinkingaboutthesetruthsastheyapplytoyourself
keepsyoufromdoingunskillfulthings.Yourealize,Mygosh,ifIallowmyself
tothinkalotofunskillfulstufftoday,theresultsaregoingtoseepoutintomy
words;theyregoingtoseepoutintomyactions.ThenIllstartnotjustthinking
unskillfulthings,butalsodoingandsayingunskillfulthings.Thatallbeginsto
pileup.Doyouwantthat?No.Sothesereflectionsaremeanttokeepyouin
line,tokeepyoufromdoingharmfulthingstoyourself,harmfulthingstoother
people.Theyteachyourestraint.
Buttheoriginalsuttainwhichthischantisfounddoesntstopjustthere.It
goesontorecommendthatyouremindyourselfthatthesethingsdontjust
applytoyou,theyapplytoeverybody,toalllevelsofbeing.Nomatterwhere
yougothislifetime,thenextlifetime,whatevertherealm,allbeingsthathave
been,allbeingsthatwillbe,whethertheyreliving,whethertheyredying,
whethertheyrebeingreborn:Theseprinciplesapplytoallofthem.And,asthe
Buddhasaid,whenyouthinkaboutthat,itnotonlypreventsyoufromdoing
unskillfulthings,butitgetsyouonthepath.Youfinallyrealizethattheresno
otherescapefromtheseprinciplesofsufferinganditscause.Andthepathhasto
bethesameforeverybody,sothatthecessationwouldbethesamefor
everybody.Youarenotanexception.Nomatterwhereyougo,whetheryou
wouldliketoberebornasabrahma,ortocomebackasahumanbeingwhos
maybealittlebitmorewealthymaybealotmorewealthy,betterlooking,more
powerful:Youwouldstillbesubjecttothesesametruths,nomatterwhat.
Thatsmeanttogiverisenotjusttorestraint,butalsotoasenseofsamvega,
somethingthatgoesdeeper:arealizationthatthewayyouvebeenlivingyour
lifereallyisgoingnowhere.Thewaymostpeoplelivetheirlivesgoesnowhere.
Theonlysomewhereyoucangoisout.Eventhatsnotaplace,butstillitsa
direction.Otherwiselifehasnodirectionatall.Itjustwandersaround,lookingat
thisforawhile,lookingatthatforawhilelikethemapchartingthewayadog
wandersaroundtheneighborhood,sniffingatthis,sniffingatthat,wandering
overhere,rollinginthis,rollinginthat.Itreallygoesnowhereinparticularatall.
Butifyouacceptthatthesetruthsareuniversal,thentheBuddhasreadyto
showyoutheuniversalwayout.Hedoesntteachjustgoodorbadkarma,or
skillfulorunskillfulkarma.Hesaysthattherearegradationsofskillfulkarma.In
particular,therestheplainoldskillfulkarmathatkeepsyouinthecycle,and
thentheresthekarmathatputsanendtokarma,thatgetsyououtofthecycle.
Thatsthepaththepaththatcutsthroughtheignorance,thepaththatcuts
throughthecravingthatcausessuffering.Thatsthewayout.
Soitsuptoustodecidewhetherwestillwanttodabblearound,toroll
aroundinafewdeadsquirrels,orwhetherwevehadenoughandwantout.If
wewantout,thenthepathisalllaidout,fromrightviewonthroughright
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concentration,whichmeansthatyoutrytoendowyourconcentrationwithall
thefactorsofthepath.Virtue,concentration,discernment:Allthesethings
shouldcometogetherinyourpractice.
Soasyoufocusonthebreath,trytodoitinavirtuousway.Inotherwords,
doitwithrestraint.Remindyourself,youcantgowanderingoff,dabblingin
this,dabblinginthat.Youvereallygottobetruetothethemeofyour
concentration.Andyourconcentrationshouldbediscerning:Whichwaysof
focusingonthebreathmaketheminduncomfortable?Whichmakethebreath
uncomfortable?Whichwaysoffocusing,whichwaysofthinkingaboutthe
breath,whichwaysoflabelingandunderstandingthebreathhelpmakeitmore
comfortable,easiertostayheresothatitdoesbecomeyourhome?sothatno
matterwhereyougo,youhavethishomeinside,thisnourishmentonthepath.
Thatshowyourdiscernmentworks.Youwanttobringallofthesequalities
together.Ifyouleaveanyofthemout,thenthepathisincomplete.Whenitsnot
complete,itcantdoitswork.
Soyougiveitallofyourmind.ThewordformindinPalicittaalso
meansthequalityofreallybeingintentonwhatyouaredoing.Andcittainthis
secondsenseisoneoftheelementsofrighteffort,oneofthebasesforsuccess.So
givethispracticeyourwholemind,yourwholeheart,yourfullintent,sothatthe
resultswillbefullandcompleteaswell.
122

StupidaboutPleasure

September27,2007

Whenitcomestotheissueofpleasure,wepreferboth/and.Wedontlike
either/or.Themorewayswecanfindpleasure,themoretypesofpleasurewe
canfind,thebetter.Afterall,thatsalotofwhatpleasureisabout:thevariety.
Wedontliketheideaofhavingtobestuckwithoneparticulartypeofpleasure,
orofhavingtoabandonsomeofthethingswealreadylikeforthesakeof
somethingelsewealsolike.Wewanttohaveitall.AstheBuddhaoncesaid,
evenifitrainedgoldcoinswewouldnthaveenoughtosatisfypeoplesdesire
forsensualpleasures.Wealwayswantmoreandmore.Thatswhywetendtobe
prettystupidabouttheissueofpleasure.
Psychologistshaveshownthatevenwhenpeopleknowthedrawbacksofa
certainactivitytheylike,theystillgobacktoitagainandagainandagain.Even
whentheyknowtheyhavebetterthingstodomorelasting,moresolidforms
ofpleasuretheycanworktowardtherearestillsomefleetingpleasuresthey
cantletgoof.Soitsnotthecasethatwhenyoufindabetterpleasure,your
attachmentstoyourold,lesserpleasuressimplyfallawaylikeleavesoffatree.
Thetendencyinthemindistokeeptryingtogathermoreandmore:addingnew
pleasurestothestockofoldpleasureswewanttokeepinstore.
Youcanseethisevenamongsomeoftheleastadvancedofthenobleones:the
streamenterers.TheBuddhahadtocounselthemtobeheedful.Thatwashislast
instruction.OfallthemonksgatheredattheBuddhaspassingaway,theleast
advancedwerestreamenterers.AndyettheBuddhahadtocounselthemtobe
heedful.ThereareotherplacesintheCanonwhereheexplicitlystatesthateven
astreamenterercanbeheedless.Afterall,whenyouvereachedthatlevelyou
knowforsurethattheresadeathless,thatyouredestinedfornibbana.Youll
haveatmostonlysevenmorelifetimesandtheyreallgoingtobehuman
lifetimesattheveryleast.Andasenseofsecuritycandeveloparoundthat
thought.Becauseofthatsenseofsecurity,itspossibleforastreamentererto
becomecomplacenttosaynothingofpeoplewhovesimplyexperiencedjhana,
orrightconcentration.Justthefactthatyouveencounteredthereallyrefined
pleasuresofrightconcentrationdoesntmeanthatyouautomaticallyletgoof
yourattachmentstootherformsofpleasure.Theprincipleofboth/andapplies
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hereaswell.Peoplewanttoenjoytheirconcentrationalongwithalltheother
pleasurestheyvemanagedtogatherupinthecourseoftheirlives.
Thisiswhywealsoneeddiscernmenttoremindusthattherearealotof
importantareaswherethingsareeither/or.Inparticular,discernmentisneeded
toseethedrawbacksofmanyoftheoldpleasureswevebeenwallowingin.This
isalessonweresist.One,wedontliketobetoldthatwevebeenengagingin
harmfulorunskillfulbehavior.Andtwo,themindhasanincredibletendencyto
putupwallstoscreenoutthenegativesidesofourpleasures.Becausewelike
ourpleasuressomuch,weresistacknowledgingtheirdrawbacks.
Iwastalkingrecentlytoamonkwhohadbeentothepolicemorguein
Bangkok,wheretheyallowmonkstocomeandobserveautopsies.Hesawthe
doctorsworkinginthemorgueveryefficiently,goingthroughbodies,opening
themup,openingthemup,withallthegutsandstuffspillingout.Andhe
wondered:Howdotheystillmanagetogohomeandsleepwiththeirwivesand
enjoytheiroldsensualpleasures?Thenhewalkedintotheirofficeandsawgirlie
calendarsalloverthewalls.Thatswhenheunderstood.Theyweredetermined
tomaintaintheperceptionofthebeautyofthebodyinspiteofwhattheywere
seeingeveryday.Thesideofthehumanmindthatwantstomaintainitsold
attachments:Itdoesntgivethemupeasily.Itdoeseverythingitcantoholdon.
Yougivethingsuponlywhenyoureallyseethattheresadirectconnection
betweensufferingandthepleasuresyouvebeenenjoyingandthattheresa
betteralternative.Onlythenwillthemindbegintoletgo.
Thisisthedutyofdiscernment:toseethedrawbacksofthesethings.Thisis
whyrightconcentrationonitsown,orjhanaonitsown,isnotenoughtocut
throughyourotherattachments.Simplybecauseyoucansithereandbevery
blissful,veryequanimous,doesntmeanthatyouregoingtoseetheconnections
betweenunskillfulpleasuresandtheirnegativeconsequences.Thatinsight
requiresanactofdetermination.Youreallyhavetobeheedfultoremind
yourselfthattheseissuesareeither/or.Youhavetoworkatdevelopingthe
strengthanddeterminationofdiscernmentthatcanseethisclearly.
AjaanChah,inoneofhistalks,referstotheknowledgeofthethree
characteristicsnotasatruth,notasaformofdiscernment,butasastrength.
Thatswhatitis:astrength.Itgivesyouasolidplacewhereyoucanstand
outsideyourattachmentsandreallylookatthem.Forthemostpart,wejust
jumpintoourattachments,jumpintoourpleasures,andtotallyloseperspective.
Whentheyslosharound,wegetsloshedaroundaswell.Butbeingabletostep
backfromthesethingsgivesusasolidplacetostand.Andthatsolidplaceto
standisastrengthinthemind.Ithelpsustoresistthetemptationtogojumping
backin.
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Sothisisathemeyouhavetocontemplateoverandoveragain:thethemeof
either/or,togetherwiththethemeoftheconnectionsbetweenthepleasuresyou
enjoyandthedrawbackstheycarryintheirwake.Thisiswhythepathhasright
viewrightattheverybeginning,andwhytheBuddhasaidthatofallthevarious
strengthsinthemind,thestrengthofdiscernmentiswhatholdstheothers
together.Theimagehegivesisofbuildingahouse.Youreputtingupthebeams
toformtheroof,butonlywhentheridgepoleisinplacearetheotherbeams
secure.Uptothatpointtheycanstillswaybackandforth.Theyrestillnotquite
solid.Butwhenyoufinallygetthatridgepoleupacrossthetop,everythingfits
togetherproperlyandstayssolid.
Theridgepoleisdiscernment.Untildiscernmentisstrong,everythingelse
yourconviction,yourpersistence,yourmindfulness,yourconcentrationcan
swaybackandforth.Youmaylikeyourconcentration,butyoucanalsolike
whateverelselifehastooffer.Youtreatyourlifelikeabigflowergardenora
vastbuffetwhereyoucanchooseallthethingsyouwant.Thatsyourpreferred
attitude.Youcometoyoursensesonlywhenyouclearlyseethatthingsare
either/or.Themoreyouletyourmindgowanderingaroundinsensualdesires,
theharderitistogetback,theharderitistoturntheconcentrationinto
somethingtranscendent.Evenwhenyouvehitthetranscendentforthefirst
time,yourestillnottotallysafe.Therecanstillbethecomplacentthoughtthat
thisisgoodenough.Youvereachedthepointofbeinganobleoneforsure,
guaranteedagainstfallingintothelowerrealms,guaranteedthatnibbanawillbe
attainedwithinsevenlifetimes.Soitspossibletobecomplacentevenonthat
level.Yourworkondiscernmentstillisntcomplete.
Sowhilewepractice,weneedtodevelopthisaddedstrength,thestrengthof
discernment.Ithelpsusseeconnectionsbetweenourpleasuresandtheir
consequencesanditalsohelpsustoseewheretheresadisconnect:whereyou
havetochooseoneformofpleasureoveranother.
TheresapassageintheDhammapada:Whenyouseeagreaterformof
happinessthatcomesfromabandoningalesserformofhappiness,thewise
personabandonsthelesserformforthesakeofthegreater.Notethatnot
everybodydoesthat.Itsonlythewisepersonwhodoes.Someonewhoonce
translatedthisversesaidthatthiscouldntpossiblybethemeaningoftheverse
becauseitssoobvious.Everyoneknowsenoughtoabandonthelesserpleasure
infavorofthegreater.Butthatsnotreallythecase.Veryfewpeopledothis.
Veryfewpeopleseethatitsaneither/or.Theywantthe
both/and/and/and/and/and.Thisisbecauseweresostupidaroundpleasure.
Sometimesweintentionallymakeourselvesstupid.Wedontwanttoseethe
connectionbetweenourpleasuresandtheirdrawbacks.Wedontwanttoseethe
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wayonepleasurefightswithanother,isinconsistentwithanother.Evenwhen
itsrightbeforeoureyes,werefusetosee.
Sowhileitsimportantthatwedevelopconcentration,wealsoneedto
developthediscernmentthatmakesitrightconcentration,thatkeepsitontrack,
thathelpsyoutoappreciateitforwhatitis.Thepleasureofconcentrationisone
ofthoserarepleasuresthathasnodrawbacks.Itmaybeshakyinthebeginning,
andthatsprobablyoneofthereasonswhywhenwestartoutwedontwantto
placeallourhopesonit,becauseweknowhowdifficultitistoattain.Butlater
on,whenitbecomeseasierandmoreconsistent,wecangetcomplacentabout
that,too,thinkingthatwecantapintoitwheneverwewant.Soyouhaveto
developthediscernment,thestrengthinthemindthatcanhelpovercomeboth
formsofcomplacency,bothreasonsforwantingeverythingtobeboth/and.As
longasyourestillonthepath,theeither/orhastobekeptinmind.Onlythe
wisdomofeither/orcangetyoubeyond.
126

TheTastevs.theReality

August1,2007

InIndiatheyhaveaninterestingtheoryaboutwhypeopleenjoyart.Its
basedonadistinctionbetweenanactualemotionandthetasteoftheemotion.
Theysaythatpeopleenjoyartthisincludesdrama,music,literature,allthefine
artsbecauseinlookingatthedepictionofaparticularemotiontheydont
actuallyexperiencetheemotion.Theytasteit.Thetasteisalwayspleasanteven
whentheemotionbeingdepictedisveryunpleasant:fear,anguish,orsorrow.If
itswellportrayed,theaudiencelikesthedepictionbecausetheylikethetaste.
Theytaste,forexample,thetasteofgrief,whichisnotgriefitself,but
compassion.Thetasteoffearisnotfear,butexcitement.Soweenjoyartnot
becausewereactuallyexperiencingtheemotionbeingdepicted,butbecausewe
likethetaste.
Thisdistinctionisusefultokeepinmindwhenyoucontemplateyour
thoughts,especiallywhenyouresittingheremeditating.Sometimesfocusingon
thebreathstartstoloseitsappeal.Youloseinterest.Evenwhenyougetnicelong
periodsofblissandwellbeing,partofthemindgetsbored.Itwantssomeaction;
itwantstotastesomeemotions.Soyoustartthinkingaboutallkindsofother
things.Butyouhavetorememberthatnomatterhowattractiveandtastythose
alternativesallthedifferentworldsthatyoucancreateinyourmindmay
seem,actuallylivinginthemwouldbeprettymiserable.Sodontgetbeguiledby
thetaste.
Wehadanincidentofthisinmyownfamily.Arelativeofminewasa
novelist,andhernovelswereprettymelodramatic.Shelikedstoriesfilledwith
scandaloussurprises:murder,incest,intrigue,infidelity.Theymadeforvery
interestingstories.Butwheninherownlifesheencounteredsomemarital
infidelity,itwastheendofher.Thesorrowcausedherdeath.Soitsonethingto
imaginethesethings,butitsanotherthingtolivethem.Alwayskeepthatin
mind.
Eventhestories,thenarrativesweliketomakeaboutourownpractice,about
theprogressweexpect,abouthowwellattainconcentration,andfrom
concentrationwellquicklymoveontoinsight,andthereitwillbeliberation:
Welikethosestoriesbecauseofthetaste.Weliketoreadthestoriesoftheajaans,
becausethestoriesarecontrivedinwaystomakethemverycompelling.Theyre
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designedtomakeyouwanttopractice.Whatyoumissinthestories,though,are
thelongdayswherenothinghappensatall,orthelongfallowperiodsinthe
meditation:meditationsthatmayhavebeenperfectlypleasantbutwithnoups
anddowns,ormeditationsthatwereactuallyunpleasantbecausethemindwas
unwillingtosettledown.Thosearethepartsnotdepictedinthebooks,butwhen
youactuallymeditate,everyonesboundtoexperiencethosethings.
Soyouvegottokeepaperspectiveonyourthoughts,onthestoriesyoulike
totellevenaboutyourownpractice.Wereheretotrainthemind,andpartof
trainingthemindinvolvesdoingthingsoverandoverandoveragain:pulling
themindawayfromdistractionoverandoveragain,keepingthemindwithits
objectoverandoveragain,takingaskillthatyoudevelopwhileyoure
meditatingandlearningtoapplyitindailylifeoverandoveragain.Thatmay
notbeexcitingorcompelling,andthemindwillhaveatendencytorebel
sometimes,butyouhavetoaskyourselfwhenyourerebelling,Whereareyou
going?Ifyouthinkofdreamworldsorpleasantworldswhereyoucouldbe
rightnow,askyourself,Whatwoulditactuallybeliketobethere?
TheresagreatstoryinAjaanLeesautobiographywherehetiresofbeinga
monkandstartsthinkingaboutdisrobing.Soonenighthedecidestothink
seriouslyaboutdisrobing:whatsactuallygoingtohappen,whatitsreallygoing
tobelike.Hestartsoutwithastorythatsoundsprettygood.Hegetsajoband
thenaraiseinpay.Hesdoingprettywellsowellthathedecideshewantsthe
daughterofanoblemanforhiswife.That,inreality,wouldhavebeenpretty
unlikely.AjaanLeewasthesonofapeasantinthenortheast.Itsveryunlikely
thathewouldhavegottenanywherenearthedaughterofanobleman.Buthe
wasabletocontriveastorywherebyheactuallymeetsone,andshegets
attractedtohim,andtheyendupgettingmarried.
Thatswhenrealitysetsin.Thedaughterofanoblemanisprobablyvery
delicatelybroughtup,yetforthefamilytosurviveshewouldhavetowork.So
shegetsajob,andshehasachild,butwiththestressesofworkandpregnancy
shediessoonafterchildbirth.Hesleftwiththekid,andherparentswant
nothingtodowithhim.Sohehiresawomantobethewetnurse.Atfirst,shes
goodwiththekid,andafterawhilesheworksherselfintohisaffections.They
eventuallygetmarried.Butthenshehasherownchildandshestartsplaying
favorites.Thatswhenitgetsreallybad.Hecomeshomefromworkatnightand
themotherhasoneversionofthedaysevents,thefirstchildhasanother
version,andthesecondchildhasstillanotherversionofthestory.Theyreall
fighting.AjaanLeefeelslikehesbeingpulledinthreedifferentdirections.He
thinkstohimself,Boy,IwishIwerebackasamonk.Thenherealizes,Of
course,Imstillamonk.Thatputstheissueofdisrobinginadifferentlight.In
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otherwords,hetalkedhimselfoutofdoingsomethingfoolishbyallowinghis
dreamsofdisrobingtogetreal.
Sothisisonewayofdealingwiththeallureofdistractingthoughts.Ask
yourself,IfIreallylivedinthatsituation,whatwoulditbelike?Whatwould
theconstraintsofthatsituationbe?Whenyouthinkofthedifferentworldsyou
couldbegoingto,theworldsoflaylife,theworldsofbeingamonkintheforest
inThailand:Whileyourethinkingofthoseworlds,theyseemlikeopen
opportunities.Butyouhavetorealizethateachofthoseworldshasits
constraints,itsconstrictions.Andthetasteofthethoughtisverydifferentfrom
theactualemotionofbeingthere.
Soifaparticularthoughtisreallybeguiling,askyourselfwhatitwouldreally
beliketogotothatparticularstateofbeing.Youdprobablyfindyourself
wishingyouhadsomequiettimetobebyyourself.Buthereyoualreadyhave
quiettimetobebyyourself,somakethemostofit.Ifthoughtsofboredomcome
up,questionthosethoughts.Thisdesireforplayingaround:Theresasuttain
whichtheBuddhasaysthatthisiswhybeingsfallfromtheblissofthehigher
realms.Theystartgettingwantonandreckless.Theyseesomeofthelower
realms.Theysaytothemselves,Whatdoesthattastelike?Itsthroughtheir
carelessnessandwantonnesswantingtoplayaroundalittlebit,wantingto
samplenewtastes,wantingachangeofscenerythattheyfallandthenjust
keeponfalling.Theuniverseevolvesnotbecauseofadivineplan,butbecauseof
recklessnessandirresponsibility.
Sotheseirresponsiblethoughts:Watchoutforthem.Remindyourselfthat
whensufferingcomes,itsreal.Afterall,itsanobletruth,anditreallyispainful,
itreallydoeshurt.Andasfortheanguishofthemindthatsstuckinaparticular
situation,youreoutsideofthosesituationsrightnow,sodontletyourselfslip
backin.ThisiswhytheBuddhasaysweshouldreflectdayafterdayafterdayon
thereflectionswechantedjustnow.Weresubjecttoaging,subjecttoillness,
subjecttodeath,subjecttoseparation.Thesethingsarereal,andthesuffering
theyentailisreal.Intheoriginalsutta,theBuddhaadvisesreflectingnotonlyon
that,butalsoonthefactthatalllivingbeingsaresubjecttothesethings.No
matterwherewegointhedevarealms,thebrahmarealms,whateverwere
allsubjecttodeath.Thatshouldgiveyouastrongsenseofsamvegaandadesire
tobeheedful.Samvegameansasenseofdismay,asenseofurgencyintryingto
getoutofbeingtrappedinasituation.Andheedfulmeanswatchingoveryour
actionsverycarefully,realizingthatyouractionsdohaveramifications.
Theyvebeenmakingabigdealrecentlyaboutthefactthatpsychologistsare
nowstudyinghappiness.Well,Buddhismhasbeenstudyinghappinessfor2,600
years.Anditfocusesonthemostimportantthingthatmostpsychologiststendto
ignore,whichisthatthewayyoulookforhappinessisgoingtohavestrong
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ramifications.Theactionsyoudo,thethingsyoudoandsayandthinkinorder
toattainhappiness:Ifyourenotcareful,theycanleadtosomeveryunhappy
results.Theycanturnaroundanddevouryou.Nointentionisfreefrom
ramifications.Inotherwords,anythingyoudowithadishonestintentionis
likelytoleadtoanexperienceofsuffering.Eventhoughitmayyieldhappiness
intheshortterm,therearelongtermramifications.Youcantgetawayfromthat
fact.
Thewaymostpeoplelivenowadaysisbasedonthepremisethatitdoesnt
matterwhathappensdownalongtheroad.Thatsinthefuture.Iwant
happinessrightnow.Iwantitfast.Sopeopleliketobetoldthattheonlything
thatmattersisthepresentmoment,wherethatsallthereis:justthepresent
moment.Butyourintentionsinthepresentmomentactasacauseforthings
furtherdowntheline,onintothefuture.Youwanttomakesurethatthose
thingscominginthefuturewillbegoodtoexperience.Thissometimesmeans
doingthingsyoudontliketodorightnow,butyourealizethattheyllleadtoa
longtermhappiness.Oryoumayhavetostopyourselffromdoingthingsyoud
liketodorightnowbecausetheywouldleadtolongtermpainnotjustatangy
tasteofpain,buttheanguishoftheactualthing.Yourskillintalkingyourself
intodoingwhatwouldleadtolongtermhappinessandintoavoidingthingsthat
wouldleadtolongtermpain:Thatsoneofthemostimportantskillsyoucan
develop,notonlyinmeditation,butinlifeasawhole.
Sorememberthedifferencebetweenthetasteandtheactualemotion.The
tasteoftheemotionisalwayspleasant,whichiswhyweenjoyart,whyweenjoy
worksoftheimagination,whyweenjoyourdreamsandfantasies.Butthe
emotionitselfoftenentailspain.Soyoudoyourbestnottobeheedless.Dont
fallforthetaste.

130

LevelsofAddiction

November11,2006

Whatisattachment?Itsbasicallyakindofaddiction,tryingtofindhappiness
inthingsthathavenevergivenatruehappiness,inthingsthatarentworththe
effort.Andwedoitagainandagainandagain.Partly,thisisfromalackof
imagination.Wecantimagineotherwaysoffindinghappiness.Partly,itsfrom
alackofskill.Wehaventmasteredotherways,otherapproachesforfinding
happiness.Andpartly,itssimplyalackofknowledge.Werenotpayingcareful
attentiontowhatsgoingon.Sointhepracticewetrytodevelopmore
imagination,moreskills,moreknowledge.
Letsstartwiththeknowledge.Whenyoufindyourselfaddictedtoa
particularpleasureandyetyouknowithasitsdrawbacks,looktoseewhenthe
feltneedforthatpleasurearises.Whatsortofdiseaseisthereinthebody,what
sortofdiseaseisthereinthemind,thatincitesyouwithasuddenurgetotryto
alleviatethatsenseofdiseaseinthesameoldwayyouvetriedbefore?Exactly
whatarethetriggers,whatarethefeelings?Watchthemarise;watchthempass
away.Youllbegintorealizethattheneedyouhave,say,foraparticularkindof
foodorparticularkindofpleasure,aparticularkindofobject,aparticularkind
ofrelationshipisnotpermanent.Inotherwords,ifyoudontgiveintothatold
impulse,theneedisnotgoingtostaythere.Itgoesaway.Ifitsabasichunger,
youmayneedtofeedthebody,butyoudontnecessarilyhavetofeeditwith
somethingthatsgoingtocausetroublelateron.
Butsomanyofourotherneedslastforjustalittlewhile.Ifyouhave
enoughendurancetowatchthemfromadifferentvantagepoint,youcanwatch
themgoawayandyouredonewiththemforthetimebeing.Awhisperingvoice
inyourmindmightsaythattheimpulsemaybegonefornow,butitsgoingto
return,sowhydontyoujustgoaheadandgiveinnow.Butyoudonthavetobe
intimidatedbythatwhisperingvoice.Youcantellit,Welldealwithitsreturn
whenitreturns.RightnowIwanttogetoverthisonehurdle.Ifyougetgoodat
watchingtheneedariseandpassaway,youdevelopagreatersenseof
detachmentfromit.
TheBuddhaalsosaystolookfortheactualgratificationyougetoutoftrying
tofillthatneedintheoldway.Afterall,iftherewasntanygratificationatall,
youwouldntgoforit.Andyouwontunderstanditenoughtoreallyletgoofit
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ifyoukeeptryingtodenythatthegratificationisthere.Atthesametime,look
forthedrawbacks.Learntocomparethetwo.Isthegratificationreallyworththe
price?
Ifyoucantthinkofanyotherwayofalleviatingthatneedordesire,thats
whereyouneedtodevelopskillandimagination.Alotofthetrainingisaimedat
expandingyourrangeofimagination.Itspossibletofindhappinessinlife
withoutgivingintoyouroldattachments.Themoreyouseethedrawbacksof
theattachments,themorewillingyoullbetolistentotheDhammatoexpand
yourimaginationofwhatspossible.
TheBuddhahimselfsaidthatashewaspracticing,theideaofhavingtogive
uphissensualpleasuresdidntappealtohim.Butthenheallowedhimselfto
imaginethatahighertypeofpleasurewaspossible.Andherealizedthattofind
thathigherlevelofhappiness,thatmoregratifyingandmorerewardinglevelof
happiness,hedhavetogiveuphissensualpleasures.So,forthetimebeing,
thatswhathedid.Hedidnttotallyundercutsensualpassionsatfirst,butforthe
timebeinghetoldhimselftoputthemaside.Thatshowhewasabletogetthe
mindintostatesofconcentrationthatprovidedanevendeeperandmore
gratifyingpleasurethansensualpassioncouldprovide.
Youllnoticethisasyouworkwiththebreath.Therecometimeswhenjust
theprocessofbreathingcanfeelreallygratifying.Theresaverystrong,intense
feelingofpleasurethatfeelsalmostsensual.ButastheBuddhasays,itsnot
sensual.Ithastodowiththeformofthebody,asopposedtosights,sounds,
smells,tastes,andoutsidetactilesensations.Butitcanfeelreallygoodinavery
visceralway.Thatsimportant.Onceyouseethattheresthispossibility,its
easiertoletgoofyourotherdesiresastheyarise.Youvegotsomethingbetter.
TheresapassagewheretheBuddhasaysthatthereasonwegetsostuckon
sensualdesires,sensualpleasures,isbecausewedontseeanyotheralternative
topain.Butwhenyouseethatthereisthealternativeand,asyoureflectonit,
youseethatithasfewerdrawbacks,greaterrewards,andthatyoucanlearnhow
totapintoitwhenyouneedit,thenitcanbeyournewattachmentamuch
betterone.Ifyouwanttocallitanaddiction,itsahealthyaddiction,asopposed
totheunhealthyonesyouvepursuedinthepast.
Sointhebeginningitsamatteroflearningtoimagineyourselfaccessingthe
pleasureofconcentration,realizingthatthereisthatpossibility,andthen
developingtheskill.Thatway,havingdevelopedtheskill,yourknowledgegets
moreprecise.Afterawhileyoubegintoseethatthelevelofconcentration
youveobtainedisnotasgratifyingasyoumightlike.Soyoucanaskyourself:
Aretheredeeper,moregratifyinglevelsofconcentration?Well,theBuddhasays
thereare.Again,openyourimaginationtothatideaandseewhatsthereinyour
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presentstateofconcentrationthatsstillaburden,stillstressful,still
unsatisfactory.Learntoletgoofthat.
Inmanycases,thiswillinvolveabandoningsomeofthefactorsthatgotyou
intoconcentrationtobeginwithsuchasdirectedthoughtandevaluationso
theremaybearesistancetolettingthemgo.Othertimestheresnot.Yousee
clearlythatyoudontneedthesethingsandyousimplyletthemdrop.Either
way,theprocessofimaginingthatyoucanletthemdropwillopenthewayfor
youtogothroughmoreandmorerefinedlevelsofconcentration,deeper,more
pervasivelevelsofpleasureandwellbeing,allthewaytoastrongstateof
equanimity.Eventheequanimitythatcomeswhenyouletgoofpleasurehasa
verystrongsenseofwellbeing.Youfeelperfectlysatisfied.Youcanstaythere
withthestillness,anditfeelsdeepdowngood.
Inthiswayyoufindthattherearealternativewaysforfindinghappinessin
life,findingpleasureinlife.Youlookbackatyouroldaddictions,andtheyseem
nottomakemuchsenseanymore.Fromyournewperspective,youwonderwhy
youwouldhavefeltsoaddictedtotheminthefirstplace.Inthiswaythe
Buddhadoesntaskyoujusttogocoldturkey,withnogratification,nothingto
replaceyouroldaddiction.Hegivesyousomethingnewandviscerallypleasing
toholdonto.
Insodoing,youexpandyourimaginationtootherlevelsaswell.Youbegin
toseeyouroldwaysofdoingthingsasnotsofixedornecessaryasyouonce
thoughttheywere.Youbegintoloosenupyoursenseofwhoyouareandwhere
youfindyourhappiness,andthatalertsyoutothefactthatyoucanchangeeven
further.Youfeelmoreinclinedtotryoutnewthingsinthemeditation,even
thoughtheyseemtogobeyondyouroldideasofwhatyouthoughtwas
possible.
ThisiswhytheBuddhatalksaboutnibbanaprimarilyinmetaphoricalterms:
toexciteyourimagination.Hesnottotallysilentonthetopic,andhesnot
contrarytowhatmostpeoplesaywillingonlytodiscussitinnegativeterms.
Hehassomeverypositivethingstosayaboutit,callingitshelter,harbor,
thebeyond.Thisistoexpandyourimaginationtoencompassthepossibility
thattheressomethingevenbeyondthepleasure,thewellbeing,thatcomesfrom
gettingthemindintogoodstatesofconcentration.Thisencouragesyoutostart
questioningsomeofyourotheraddictions,suchasyoursenseofself.
Oursenseofselfisbasicallyourstrategyforhappiness.Inthecourseofthe
practicewelearnhowtodevelopnewstrategies.Thatmeanswedevelop
differentsensesofourselvesaswegothroughthepractice,asweexpandour
repertoire.
AlotofpeoplefeelthreatenedbytheBuddhasteachingsonnotselfprecisely
forthisreason.Yoursenseofselfisyourstrategyforhappiness.Whenyouhear
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theideaofnotself,itsoundsasiftheBuddhaisaskingyoutoabandon
everythingyouknowabouthowtofindhappiness.Noselfwouldleaveyou
withnomeansforhappinessatall.Thatsthefear.Butwhathesactuallydoing
isteachingyouhowtorefineyourstrategiesforhappiness,developingnew
strategiesthataremoreeffective,ultimatelycomingupwithastrategythats
actuallyanotselfstrategy.Itsnotthatradicallydifferentfromwhathesbeen
teachingyouonthemoreelementarylevels,becauseonthoselevelshesbeen
teachingyoutoabandonyourunskillfulstrategies,theaddictionsthatare
obviouslyharmful.Buttherecomesapointinthepracticewhereyouhaveto
learntoabandonsomeofthestrategiesthatwereskillfulinthebeginningbut
nowarebeginningtogetinthewayofsomethingevenmorerefined.
Sometimesyouhearpeopletreatingyoursenseofselfasanobviousfallacy
thatcausesnothingbutharmandstress.Ifthatwerethecase,itwouldnttake
muchtoletgoofit,seeinghowobviouslyharmfulitis.Buthey,itspartofyour
strategyforhappiness.Ithasitsgratifications.Youvegottoadmititsgoodside.
Still,therecomesapointwhereyouhavetolookatitsdrawbacks,itslimitations.
Evenyourmostskillfulstrategiesforhappinessatsomepointhavetoget
dropped.SotheBuddhagivesyouthepositiveteachingsonnibbanato
encourageyoutoletgoofthosethings,eventhoseskillfulstrategies,whenthe
timecomes.
Atthesametime,herefusestosaywhethertheresgoingtobeayouinthere,
ornoyouinthere.Hewantsyoutodeveloptheattitudethat,atthisstage,your
senseofselfisirrelevanttowhetheryouregoingtobehappy.Buthesnot
sayingthatyoudontexist.Whenaskedpointblankiftherewasaselforthere
wasnoself,herefusedtoanswer,sayingthatifyouholdtotheideathatthereis
aselfyougetstuckineternalism,whichblocksthepractice:Youholdonto
certainthingsasbeingtheeternalyouandyoullneverbeabletoletthemgo.If
youdeveloptheideathatthereisnoself,thatsannihilationism,whichblocksthe
practiceaswell:Eitheryoufearbeingannihilatedoryouhaveaneuroticdesire
towanttobeannihilated,neitherofwhichishelpful.
Sotherecomesapointwhereyouhavetoputissuesofselfandnotselfaside,
andjustlookatwheretheresstress,andwhatactivitiesarecausingthestress,
andhowtostopthem.Thatswhytheteachingsonthefournobletruthstrump
everyotherteaching.Itshowtheteachingsondevelopingaskillfulselfare
strategies,andtheteachingsonnotselfarestrategiesaswell.Theteachingson
nibbanaarestrategies,too.Nibbanawontgetyoutonibbana,butthedesireto
gettherewill.Solearntousethesestrategiestoovercomeyourmostblatantand
harmfuladdictions,andthenyourmoresubtleones,untilyoufinallyreachwhat
theBuddhacalledtheultimatehappinessnibbanamparamamsukhamwhere
youcanputallyouraddictions,allyourstrategies,aside.
134

AntidotesforClinging

October7,2007

TherearesomeplacesinthePaliCanonwheretheBuddhasaysthatthefive
aggregatesarestressful,andotherswherehesaysthefiveclingingaggregatesare
stressful.Itsimportanttonoticeherethathestalkingabouttwodifferentkinds
ofstress.Thesenseinwhichthefiveaggregatesarestressfulisrelatedtostressin
termsofthethreecharacteristics.Theyreinconstantandsotheyrestressful.
Thatssimplythewaytheyare,whetheryouholdontothemornot.Butifyou
dontgrabontothesethings,yourminddoesntsuffer.Itswhenyougrabon,
itswhenyoucling,thatstresscomesintothemind.Youcreateaclinging
aggregate.Youcreateaconnection.Thisisstressintermsofthefournoble
truths.Wherevertherescraving,therecanbeclinging,andtheclingingtothe
aggregatesisthestressthatreallyweighsonthemind.
Whenwepractice,ourmainfocusisonthestressinthefournobletruths,the
stressthatweighsonthemind.Ifyoudontclingtothethingsthatarestressful,
thentheycanbeasstressfulastheywant,butthestressdoesntcomeinand
weighyoudown.Itslikepickingupaheavyobject.Ifyoujustleaveitthereon
theground,itdoesntweighyoudown.Itweighsthesamewhetheryoure
pickingitupornot.Whenyoupickitupitsfiftypounds;whenyouleaveiton
thegrounditsfiftypounds.Thedifferenceisthatthefiftypoundsissuddenly
ontopofyouwhenyoupickitup,andthatswhenyousuffer.Thatsprecisely
thestresstheBuddhaisfocusingon.Thatstheimportantonetonotice.
Alwaystrytobeclearaboutthisdistinction.Therealproblemisntthe
aggregates,itstheclinging.Andthewordclinginghasadoublemeaning.Itcan
alsomeantheactoffeedingonsomething.Whereweclingiswherewelookto
feedforhappiness.Welooktothefiveaggregatesforfood.Wemunchthem
down,andthentheymunchusdown.Wefeedontheformofthebody,wefeed
onfeelings,perceptions,thoughtconstructs,andsensoryconsciousness.When
thesethingsarepleasant,theyrenottooheavy.Buttheycanturnaroundand
turnunpleasantveryquickly.Theygobbleusup,forweveopenedthewayfor
themtogettous.Onceyoustartclingingtothegoodones,youstartclingingto
thebadonesaswell,becausethatswhereyourelookingforfood.
Soitsimportanttounderstandclingingsothatyoucanputanendtoit.As
theBuddhasaid,therearefourkinds.Theressensualclinging,clingingtoviews,
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clingingtohabitsandpractices,andthenclingingtodoctrinesoftheself.Allof
thesehoveraroundthefiveaggregates.Theyredifferentwaysofclingingtothe
fiveaggregates.AndtheBuddhahasadifferentcureforeach.
Sometimesyouhearthatthedeepest,mostunderlyingformofclingingisthe
senseofselfidentitythatyoubuildaroundthings.Ifyoulearnhownottohave
anysenseofselfidentity,thereyouare:Youvetakencareofalltheotherforms
ofclinging.Sometimesyouhearthatclingingtoviewsisthebasicformof
clinging.Ifyoucandeconstructallyourviews,youllbedonewithalltheother
formsofclingingaswell.Soyoureasonyourwaytoseeinghowyoucantsay
thatthingsexist,youcantsaythatthingsdontexist,orboth,orneither.Theyre
empty.Thatmeansthatyoursensualdesireisempty,yourhabitsandpractices
areempty,yourdoctrinesoftheselfareempty.Witheverythingemptylikethat,
theresnothingtoclingto.Butthatdoesntworkeither.Afterlettingthingsgoin
thisway,youllfindthatyoursensualdesireswerenttouched.Youjustturn
aroundandpickthembackup.Soyouhavetorealizethateachkindofclinging
hasitsownantidote.
Forexample,clingingtosensuality:WhentheBuddhatalksaboutsensuality,
hedoesntsaythatyoureattachedtosightsorsounds.Thewordkama,or
sensuality,heredoesntmeanbeautifulordesirablesights,sounds,smells,tastes,
ortactilesensations.Itmeanstheplansandintentionsyouhavearoundthese
things.Thatswhatwerereallyfocusedon.Wereallattachedtotheideaswe
haveofthethingswewant,wantingthemtobeacertainwaytogiveus
pleasure.Inotherwords,weremoreattachedtoourdreamsandplansabout
sensualpleasuresthanwearetothesensualpleasuresthemselves.Thisissimple
enoughtosee.Ifyoufindyoursensualdesirethwartedinonearea,youturn
aroundandyoufocusitonsomethingelse.Thedesireiswhatweclingto.We
clingtotheplansthatwemakeforsensualpleasure.
Andwhataretheseplanslike?Forthemostpart,theyreprettyonesided
andsketchy.Sayyouhavedesignsonsomebodyelsesbody.Whenyouthink
aboutthatpersonsbody,thereareonlycertaindetailsthatyouthinkabout.A
lotofdetailsyoudontwanttothinkaboutatall.Orwhenyouthinkabouta
particularrelationship,youthinkaboutonlycertainaspectsoftherelationship
andnotaboutothers.
Sotheantidotehereistobroadenyourview,toseethatyourpursuitof
pleasureinthiswaycarriesalotofpainalongwithit.WhentheBuddhatalks
aboutthedrawbacksofsensuality,hestartswiththefactthatinordertoleada
sensuallifestyle,youvegottowork.Theworkinandofitselfispainfuland
wearisome.Youworkandworkandworktobuildupwealth.Sometimesyou
gainit;sometimesyoudont.Evenwhenyoudogainit,theresthefearthat,as
hesays,thievesandkingswillstealitIlikethewaytheBuddhaalways
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mentionskingsandthievesinthesamebreathwatermightwashitaway,fire
mightburnit,hatefulheirscouldtakeoffwithit.Thatcaneasilyhappentoyour
wealth.AndastheBuddhapointsout,itsoversensualitythatpeoplefight.
Parentsfightwiththeirchildren;childrenfightwiththeirparents;brotherswith
sisters,sisterswithbrothers;husbandwithwife,wifewithhusband.Andnotjust
inthefamily:Therearewarsoversensualpleasuresaswellbecauseweneedto
takewealthtopayforourpassions,whicharefargreaterthanallthewealthin
theworld.Thatshowweendupgoingtowar.
TheBuddhagoesdownalonglistofallthepainsandsufferingstiedupwith
thispursuitofourdreamsofsensuality.Soasyoulookatthepursuitof
sensualityinitsentirety,yourealizehowmuchpainandsufferingitinvolves.
Youdonthavetolooktoofar.Thiscontemplationwehaveoftherequisites
everyday,thinkingaboutfood,clothing,shelter,andmedicine:Justthefactthat
wehaveabodymakesusaburdenonotherpeople.Sothinkaboutthat.Every
timeyourmindstartsspinningawebofsensualdesire,tellyourself:Ifyoure
goingtospinaweb,spinthefullweb.Trytoencompassthewholepicture.
LikethatdaydreamthatAjaanLeereportsinhisautobiography,fromthe
timehewasplanningtodisrobe:Atfirstitstartsoutreallynice;heevengetsa
noblemansdaughterforhiswife.Butthentherealityprinciplestartskickingin.
Eventually,becauseshesanoblemansdaughter,shesnotuptothehardwork
thatsrequiredinmarryingapeasantsson.Shediesandleaveshimwithachild
toraise.Hegetsasecondwife.Thesecondwifehasakidofherownandstarts
playingfavorites,abusingthefirstkid.Andsoondowntheline.Whenwebring
inrealitylikethis,ithelpscutthroughalotofourdelusionsaroundsensuality,a
lotofourattachmenttosensualdesigns,sensualplans,sensualdreams.
Oryoucancontemplatethebody,inallitsparts.Youcanthinkofabeautiful
body,butwhenyouthinkofthepartsinside,yousaywuuh.Justafew
micrometersbelowtheskintheresallthisotherstuff,anditsinextricably
connectedwiththethingsyoulike.Supposeyoulustforsomebody.Youdont
liketheideaoftheirintestines,butifyoutooktheirintestinesout,wouldyou
likethatpersonwithoutanyintestines?Itsnotworthtakingeitherwaywithor
withoutaliver,withorwithoutastomach.
Sowhenyouthinkintheseways,youbegintorealizethatyoursensualplans
anddesiresarereallyunrealistic,reallymisleading.Theymakeyouhalfblindso
thattheycantakeyoudownapathtosuffering.Realizingthishelpscutthrough
thesensuality.Youseehowarbitraryallthesedreamsare,thatyoucantrelyon
them.Thatswhathelpsyouletthemgo.
Asforclingingtoviews,theBuddhahasyoufollowasimilarprocess,but
withdifferentdetails.Theprocessisthathehasyoulookatthedrawbacksthat
comefromclingingtoaview,oneofthemajordrawbacksbeingthatyou
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inevitablygetintoargumentswithotherpeople.Butmorethanthat,theBuddha
hasyoulookcarefullyatthethingsyouhaveviewsabout.Thisiswherethe
detailsdiffer,andtheanalysisgoesintomoretechnicalterms.Yourviewscome
downtothequestionofwhatexistsandwhatdoesntexist,hesays,butwhen
youactuallylookatyoursensoryexperience,youjustseethingsarisingand
passingaway.Asyoufocusonthearising,theideaofnonexistencedoesnt
occurtoyou.Asyoufocusonthepassingaway,theideaofexistencedoesnt
occurtoyou.Yourealizethatthebasicbuildingblocksofexperience,whenyou
lookatthemjustonthelevelofarisingandpassingaway,dontprovidea
foundationfortheverybasicpolaritiesofexistingandnotexisting.Ontopof
that,anyviewsyoubuildaresketchesbasedonnotlookingatthingsvery
carefully.SotheBuddhahasyoulookverycarefullyattheprocessofwhatits
liketoexperiencethings.Whenyouseethatviewsreallycantexpressthetruth
aboutthings,andthatholdingontothemisgoingtocauseyoutosuffer,youcan
cutthroughyourattachmenttothem.
Asforhabitsandpractices,hefirsthasyoulookattheactualhabitsor
preceptsandpracticesyoureattachedto.Theattachmenthereistotheideathat
ifyoufollowcertainrulesandyoureagoodlittleboy,agoodlittlegirl,thatsall
youhavetodo.Godwillbehappywithyouortheuniversewillapproveofyou
orwhatever.SotheBuddhahaspeoplelookdirectlyattheirhabitsandpractices
togetherwiththeirresults,someofwhichareactivelyharmful.Backinhisdays,
sacrificeswerebelievedtobeawaytofindtruehappiness.Sohetalkedabout
lookingatthemiserythatcomesthroughthesacrifices,notonlyfortheanimals
sacrificedbutalsoforthepeopleforcedtolaboringettingtheanimalskilled.
Selftortureasaformofausteritywasalsoapopularpracticeinsomecircles.So
hehadyoulookatthepainthatcomesfromit,toseethatitdoesntreallylead
anywhere.Itdoesntreallyhelpcleansethemind.
Sointhiswayhedgetpeopletoabandonharmfulhabitsandpractices,and
replacethemwithgoodhabitsandgoodpractices:thehabitsweadoptaspartof
ourvirtue,thepracticeswefollowinthepracticeofmeditation.Buteventually
hesaystowatchout:Ifyourenotcareful,youregoingtocreateasenseof
conceitaroundthesethings,thepridethatcomessometimeswhenIfollowthe
preceptsandyoudont,orMyjhanasbetterthanyours.Thewaytoget
beyondthatattachmentisnottobreakthepreceptsordropyourpracticeof
jhana.Itssimplytocontinuewiththosepracticeswhilelearninghownotto
developasenseofconceitaroundthem.Realizethatyouredoingthesethings
nottomakeyourselfbetterthanotherpeople,butsimplybecausetheyworkin
cleansingthemind.
Finallytheresclingingtodoctrinesofself.Thisdoesntmeanjusttheview
thatIhaveaself,whateveryoursenseofselfmightbe.Italsomeansclinging
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totheviewthatIhavenoself.Thinkingineitherway,theBuddhasaid,leads
youintoathicketofviewsthatwillgetyouentangled.So,aswiththecurefor
clingingtoviews,theBuddhahasyoutakethepolarityofexistenceor
nonexistenceandputitaside.Whentheissueofexistingornotexistingisanon
issue,theideaofaselfexistingornotexistingisanonissueaswell.Instead,the
Buddhahasyoulookatthingssimplyintermsofthefournobletruths.Whereis
stressarising?Whatisthecauseofthatstress?Whatsthepathtotheendofthat
stress?Asyoudivideupyourexperienceinthoseterms,thewholeissueofwho
youareorwhoyourenotjustgetsputaside.Youremorefocusedonwhat
youredoingthatscausingstress,learninghowtocomprehendthestress,
learninghowtoabandonthecausethroughdevelopingthepath,sothat
ultimatelyyoucanrealizetheendofstress,theendofsuffering.Thatstheway
outofthattypeofclinging.
Sowhenyoufindthemindclinging,weighingitselfdownwithits
attachmenttotheaggregates,trytobeclearaboutexactlywhichkindofclinging
youresufferingfromandwhattheantidoteis,whatthemedicinethatthe
Buddhaprescribed,becauseitsdifferentineachcase.Theresnooneblanket
curetocovereveryformofclinging.Youvegottodevelopyourdiscernment
frommanyangles,developdiscernmentwithmanyfacets.Essentiallyevery
approachinvolvesseeingthingsintermsofbeinginconstant,stressful,andnot
self,butthoseprinciplesgetappliedindifferentwaysforeachtypeofclinging.
Sotrytokeepthislistofmedicinesinmindandapplythemasappropriate.
Thatwayyouputyourselfinapositionwhereyourelivinginaworldthats
stressfulbutyourenotpullingthestressinside.Youcanlivesurroundedby
inconstancy,stress,andnotself,butnotsufferfromit.
139

FearofDeath

October11,2005

TheBuddhasdecisiontogooffintotheforeststartedwithhisrealizationthat
hewassubjecttoaging,illness,anddeath,andyetthesewerethethingsinwhich
hehadbeensearchingforhappiness.We,too,aresubjecttoaging,illness,and
death,andwetendtosearchforourhappinessinthingsthatage,growill,and
dieaswell.He,however,wantedahappinessthatwasbetterthanthat,
somethingthatwasmorereliable.Thisdesirewaswhatunderlayallofhis
efforts:tofindahappinessthatwouldnotage,wouldnotgrowill,andwould
notdie.Ofcourse,allofhisfriendsandhisfamilytoldhimthatthatwas
impossible.Buthedecidedthatlifewouldnotbeworthlivingunlesshegaveita
try.Soheworkedhardforsixyears,goingdownsomedeadendpaths,finding
himselfinblindalleys,butfinallyhefoundthepaththatledtoahappinessthat
didnotgrowill,didnotage,anddidnotdie.Thatswhathetaughtfortherest
ofhislife.Thatpaththenobleeightfoldpathwashisfirstteaching,anditwas
oneofhislastteachingsaswell.
Prominentinthepathisrighteffort,thekindofeffortthatleadstothetypeof
happinessthathehadbeenlookingfor.Itstartswithdesire:generatingdesire,
upholdingyourintenttoletgoofunskillfulqualitiesthathavearisen,toprevent
unskillfulqualitiesthathavenotarisenfromarising,togiverisetoskillful
qualities,andtomaintainthemandbringthemtotheirculminations.Desireis
whatanimatesthoseactivities.
Noticethattheseeffortsareinternalactivities.Thesequalitiesarequalitiesof
themind.Theywillmanifestthemselvesoutsideinyourthoughts,words,and
deedsbuttheycomefromwithin,sothatswherethemaineffortisfocused.
Thisiswhythesectionofthenobleeightfoldpaththatdealswithconcentration
startswithrighteffort:theefforttogiverisetoskillfulqualities,likemindfulness,
alertness,discernment.Thesearethethingsthatarereallygoingtohelpyou.
Evenifyoudontmakeitallthewaytonibbana,thesequalitieswillstandby
youasthebodyages,asitgrowsill,asitdies.OneofthediscoveriestheBuddha
madeonthenightofhisAwakeningwasthatthingsdontendwithdeath.There
isacarryover.Butitsnotthebodythatcarriesover.Itsqualitiesofthemind.
Hecalledthesequalitiesnobletreasuresthingslikeconvictioninthe
principleofaction,thebeliefthatallofyourintentionalactionswillbearfruitin
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linewiththequalityoftheintention;virtue;asenseofshameattheideaofdoing
evilthings;asenseofcompunctionorfearoftheconsequencesofdoingevil
things;adesireforlearning;theabilitytorelinquishwhatgetsinthewayofyour
path;anddiscernment.Thesesevenqualitiesarecallednobletreasuresbecause,
astheBuddhasaid,firecantburnthem,thievesandkingscantstealthem,
deathcantkillthem,watercantwashthemaway.
Sodeathisnottheend.Somethingscarryover,butyouhavetofocusyour
energiesonthemindifyouwanttohavegoodthingstocarryover.Otherwise
thethingsyoucarryoverarebad.
Thisiswhyourefforthereisaimedintwodirections.One,ifyoucangain
totalrelease,thisisthepathtototalrelease.Two,ifyoudontgaintotalrelease
withinthislifetime,youvegotthingstocarryoverasyoucontinueyourquestin
yournextlifetime.Butyouhavetodesirethosequalities.Otherwiseitshardto
gainthem,fortheydorequirework.Wemaybeattractedtotheideaofapath
thatdoesntrequireanyactionoreffortatall,butitdoesntworkthatway.The
pathofinactionjustgoesinthegeneralwaythatwatergoesdownhill
developingbadqualitiestocarryover,whereasthepaththatgoesuphillrequires
effort.
Righteffortdoesntrequirethatyoukillyourselforexhaustyourself,butit
doesrequireanappropriateeffort,whateverisrequiredtogetpastunskillful
qualitiesandgiverisetoskillfulones.Therearetimeswhenitrequiresalotof
concertedeffort.Othertimes,itrequiresjusttheabilitytositandwatch.Butits
alwaysafocusedeffort,anappropriateeffort,whateverthesituationdemands.
Itsbuiltonthedesiretofindsomethingthatgoesbeyondaging,illness,and
death,somethingyoucanreallyrelyon.Tohelpgeneratethatdesire,theBuddha
hasuslooklongandhardataging,illness,anddeathandatourfearofthese
things.Hesaysthatourfearofdeathisbasedonfourthings.Eitherwere
attachedtothebody,wereattachedtosensualpleasures,werealizethatweve
donecruelandharmfulthingstootherpeople,orwehaventyetseenthetrue
Dhamma,thattherereallyisadeathless.Alotofourmeditationisaimedat
overcomingthosefourreasonsforfear.
Forexample,therealizationthatwevedonecruelthingsinthepast:The
Buddhadoesnthaveusgettiedupinremorse.Theprincipleofkamma,which
sometimessoundsdeterministic,isactuallyaveryfluidandcomplexprocess,
onewithroomformakingchangesinthepresentmoment.Oneofthethingsyou
candotocounteracttheharmfuleffectsfromunskillfulthingsyouvedoneinthe
pastistodevelopanattitudeofgoodwillforallbeingswithoutlimit.The
Buddhacallsitanexpansivemindstate.Whenpainfulthingshappeninan
expansivemindstate,theimpactismuchdifferentfromthingshappeningina
narrowandconfinedmindstate.Theimagehegivesisofalumpofsaltplacedin
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water.Ifyouputthelumpofsaltinaglassofwater,thewaterbecomesunfitto
drink.Ifyouputitinabroad,cleanriver,thewaterintheriverisstillfittodrink
becausetheressomuchmorewatercomparedtothesalt.SotheBuddha
recommendsthatyoudevelopanattitudeofgoodwillforallbeings,both
becauseitcounteractstheeffectsofbadactionsinthepast,andbecauseit
preventsyoufromactingonunskillfulintentionsnowandintothefuture.Ifyou
reallyfeelgoodwillforall,theresnowayyoucanintentionallyharmthem.You
donthavetolikeallbeings;yousimplydecidethatyoudontwanttocause
themsuffering.Youdontwanttotakepleasureintheirsuffering.
Asyouthinkaboutit,whatgooddoyougetoutofotherpeoplessuffering?
Youdontgainanythingatall.Theremaybeasenseofschadenfreude,butthats
prettymiserablefoodforthemind.Itsbettertorealizethatifallthecrueland
heartlesspeopleintheworldhadatruesenseofhappiness,theywouldntdo
cruelandheartlessthingsanymore.Sothedesireforgoodwillsetsyourattitude
straightonhowtheworldwouldactuallybecomeabetterplaceforeveryone:
Yourewishingthatpeoplewouldunderstandhowtobetrulyhappy,sothat
theydstopdoingcruelandheartlessthings.Goodwillalsoputsyouinaposition
whereyourtruehappinessdoesnthavetoconflictwiththetruehappinessof
otherpeople.Sothisisonewayofcounteractingthatparticularreasonforfear.
Asforattachmenttothebodyandtosensualpleasures,theBuddhahasa
doubleprongedattack.Oneprongistoseethedrawbacksofbeingattachedto
thesethings.Ifyoureattachedtothebody,whereisitgoingtotakeyou?Its
goingtotakeyoutoaging,illness,anddeath,forsure,nomatterhowmuchyou
exerciseorbeautifythebody.Itmaytakeyoutootherplacesinthemeantime,
buttheultimateendissomethingweallshare,andweallknowforsurethatits
goingtohappen.
Thesameholdstrueforsensualpleasures.Wherearethesensualpleasures
youwereenjoyinglastweek?Rightnowallyouhaveisamemoryofthem.
Sometimesthatmemoryistaintedbytherealizationthatyoudidunskillful
thingsinordertogainthosepleasuresortokeepthem.Notonlydotheytendto
slipawayontheirown,therearealsotimeswhenotherpeoplewantwhat
youvegotandtheyregoingtofightyouforit.Soyouhavetofightthemoff.
TheBuddhaillustratesthispointwiththeimageofahawkthathasfoundalittle
lumpofmeat.Assoonasittriestocarryitoff,otherbirdsaregoingtocomeand
attackit.Thentherestheimageofamansittingupinafruittree,enjoyingthe
fruitinthetree,butanothermancomesalongwithahatchet.Insteadofclimbing
thetreetogetthefruit,heusesthehatchettocutthetreedown.Ifthemaninthe
treedoesntcomedownrightaway,hesgoingtogethurt.Thatswhatlooking
forhappinessinsensualpleasuresdoestoyou.Itleavesyouexposedonallsides
todanger.
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ThisiswhytheBuddharecommendsrightconcentrationasthesecondprong
inhisattack,toprovideyouwithanalternativesourceforhappinesssothat
yourenotsohungryforsensualpleasures.Youcansithereandbathethebody
inasenseofease,inasenseofrapture,simplybyfocusingonthebreath,
adjustingthebreathsothatitscomfortable,andnooneisgoingtotrytostealit
fromyou.Onceitreallyfeelsgood,youcanjustsettlein,lettingthebreathbathe
youonallsides,cominginandoutalloftheporesoftheskin,allowingthat
senseofeaseandrapturetosuffusethewholebody.Asyougetreallyadeptat
this,yourattachmenttosensualpleasuresbeginstoloosen,foryouseethatthis
isamuchbetterpleasure.Itsmoreintense,morepervasive,morereliable,less
blameworthy,andalotlessdangerous.Sorightconcentration,inaverydirect
way,isoneofthewaysofovercomingfearofdeath,becauseyourealizethatyou
haveanalternativesourceofpleasure.
Buttheultimatestepinovercomingfearofdeathliesinseeingthetrue
Dhamma.Thismeansrealizingthatthereissomethingdeathlessthatcanbe
touchedbythemindrightwhereyouvebeenexperiencingthebody.Itcomes
notjustthroughconcentration,butalsothroughworkingontheopportunities
forinsightthattheconcentrationprovides.Asthemindgetsmoreandmorestill,
youbegintoseethemindsattachments.Youcanseethemasactivities.Evenits
senseofitself,oryoursenseofyourself,isjustaseriesofstrategiesyouve
devised.
TheBuddhacallsthesestrategiestheprocessofImakingandmy
making.Whateverwayyouformasenseofselfaroundform,feelings,
perceptions,thoughtconstructs,orconsciousness,itsalljustfabrication.Inthe
processoffabricationtheresstress.Ifthatsalltherewereinlife,youdbe
willingtoputupwiththestress,forwithoutyourselfstrategiestherewouldbe
nowaytofindhappiness.ButtheBuddhasaysthattheresmore.Ifyoucanlearn
howtodeconstructallthosefabrications,allthestoriesandideas,thethingsyou
buildaroundyoursenseofwhoyouareandwhootherpeopleareandwhatthe
worldis:Ifyoucanlearntodeconstructthosethings,youfindagreater
happiness,onethatdoesntdie.
Thatswhatrightmindfulnessandrightconcentrationarefor:toprovideyou
withaframeworkinwhichyoucandothedeconstruction.Thedeconstructionis
thefournobletruths,justlookingatthingsintermsofstress,thecauseofstress,
whatyouredoingtoputanendtothatcause.Andtheactualendofstresscomes
asyougetmoreandmoreprecise,moreandmoreskillfulatfollowingthepath.
Yourprecisionandskillleadyoutodetectevenmoreandmoresubtlelevelsof
fabricationgoingoninthemind.Whenyouseethestressthatcomeswitheven
thesubtlestfabrication,andseethatyoualsohavethechoicenottofabricate
thatwhatevergratificationyougotfromthefabricationjustcantcomparewith
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thesenseofeasethatcomesfromdroppingthatparticularleveloffabrication
themindwillbewillingtoletgo,willingtostop.Inthiswayitpeelstheselevels
offabricationawayinthesamewayasyoudpeelawaythelayersofanonion.
Whenallintentionfinallyends,thatswhenyourealizethatthereis
somethingdeathless.TheBuddhawasright.Thereissomethingthatcanbe
touchedinthemindthatdoesntrequirefabricationinfactitstotally
unfabricated.Ithasnothingtodowithtimeorspaceoranythingthatcanage,
growill,ordieatall.Itsjustthere.Itcantbetouchedbythevagariesoftime,
butitcanbetouchedbyundoingthepatternsofintentionandfabricationinthe
mind.
Onceyouvetouchedthat,yourealizethatthereissomethingthatdoesnt
die.Ithasnothingtodowithyou,althoughitwasthroughyouractivitiesand
intentionsskillfulintentionsthattookapartyourotherintentionsthatyougot
tothepointwhereyoucouldrealizethis.Becausetheresnoneedtostrategizein
there,theresnoselfthatcomeswiththefeltneedtostrategize,orthefeltneedto
partakeofthehappiness.Thehappinessisjustthere.Youdontneedayouto
createitortopartakeofit.Onceyouveseenthat,thatswhatreallygetsyou
beyondfearofdeath,forthepartthatdoesntdieismuchmoreworthwhilethan
thethingsthatdo.
Rightnowthesearealljustideas,possibilities,forpeoplewhoarestill
strugglingtogetonthepath.Butitsimportanttohaveasenseofwhats
possible,becausethatexpandsyourimagination.Asyourimaginationgets
expanded,yourdesireschangeaswell.Ifyouthinkthedeathlessisimpossible,
yourdesiresaregoingtofocusonthingsthatcandie.Butifyouopenuptothe
possibilitythatthereisadeathlessthatcanbeattainedthroughhumaneffort,its
achallenge.Hopefully,itstirssomedesiretofollowthepath,totestifwhatthe
Buddhasaidisreallytrue.
Sokeepthispossibilityinmind,becausethisiswhatgivesenergytothe
desiretostickwithrighteffort,tostickwiththepath,sothatthedeathlessisnot
justanideaornewsofsomebodyelsesclaims.Ultimatelyitbecomesanactual
experiencebasedonyouractualefforts.Itsnotjustnewsaboutwhatsomebody
elsedidinthepast.Itsyournews.Ofcourse,nobodyelsehastoknow.Asthe
chantsays,itspaccattam,somethingthateachpersoncanexperienceonlyforhim
orherself.Butwhenitbecomesarealityinyourmind,itmakesahugechange.
Aging,illness,anddeathdontholdanyfear.Asoneofthetextssays,youattain
somethingthatallowsyoutoliveinpeace,ease,andbliss,evenwhenyoureold,
evenwhenyouresick,evenwhenyoudie.Andthatsapossibilityreallyworth
exploring.

144

TheRaftofConcepts

August3,2007

Whenyoustartoutmeditating,youhavetothinkbutinaskillfulway.In
otherwords,directedthoughtandevaluationarefactorsofrightconcentration
ontheleveloffirstjhana.Evenifyoucangetintoconcentrationreallyquickly,it
requiressomethinkingtogetyouthere.Andifyougetintoconcentration
slowly,youvegottolearnhowtothinkyourwayintotheconcentration.So
thinkaboutthebreath;visualizethebreathinthebody.Thinkabouthowto
makethebreathmorecomfortable.Onceitscomfortable,thinkabouthowto
spreaditaroundindifferentpartsofyourbody.Thinkaboutthewayyou
understandthebreath.Therearevariouslevelstothebreath,youknow.Theres
theinandoutbreath.Theresthebreathenergyflowingalongyourblood
vessels,flowingalongyournerves.Theresastillbreathinthebody.Thereare
lotsofbreathsyoucanthinkabout.Andthesethoughts,ifyouusethem
properly,areallmeanttohelpthemindgetsettleddown.
TheBuddhaoncesaidthatafterallhisyearsoffalsestartsanddeadend
alleys,hefinallygotontothepathwhenherealizedthatheshoulddividehis
thoughtsintotwotypes:skillfulandunskillful.Thismeantthathejudgedhis
thoughtsbytheresultstheygave.Hedidntsaythatallthinkingwasbad.Hedid
saythatifyouthoughtskillfulthoughtsfor24hours,thedrawbackwouldbe
thatthebodyandmindwouldgettired,soyouwantthemindtolearnhowto
restfromthethinking.Butheneversaidthattheconceptualmindisbad.Its
simplyamatteroflearninghowtouseyourconceptsproperly.Thatsthepath.
Itspartofrightviewandrightresolve.Thesefactorsofthepathinvolve
thoughts.
Sowecantcondemnthoughtsentirely.Wejustneedtolearnhowtothinkin
newways,inwaysthatareactuallyskillful,thathelpfreethemind.Ultimately
youdogettoaplacethatsbeyondconcepts,thatgoesbeyondwords,butyou
needconceptsandwordstohelpgetyouthere.
Thisisapointthatalotofpeoplemisunderstand.Theythinkthatinorderto
getbeyondconcepts,youjustdropconceptsimmediately.Itsliketheoldsimile
oftheraft.TheversionintheBuddhasteachingsisthatyoutaketheraftacross
theriver.Then,onceyougetacrosstheriver,youdontneedtheraftanymore.
Youcanputitaside.Thoughtsofrightviewandthoughtsofrightresolveare
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partoftheraft.Youholdontothemwhileyourecrossingtheriver,andonly
thendoyouputthemaside.However,intheDiamondSutrasversionofthe
simile,yougetacrosstheriverbydroppingtherafttobeginwith.Butthat
versionofthesimilejustdoesntwork.Ifyoudroptheraftbeforeyouvereached
theothershore,yougetwashedaway.Solearnhowtousetheraft.
ThisissuegoeswaybacktothetimeoftheBuddha.Theresastoryinthe
CanonaboutAnathapindika,whowasoutwalkinginthemorning.Hesaidto
himself,Itstooearlytogovisitthemonks;whydontIgovisitthemembersof
othersects?Sohewenttoaplacewheretheothersectarianswerehavingtheir
debates.Theyweredebatingwhethertheworldiseternalornot;whetherits
finiteorinfinite;whetherthesoulisthesamethingasthebodyorsomething
differentfromthebody;whetheranenlightenedbeingexistsafterdeath,or
doesntexist,orboth,orneither.Thosewerethehotissuesoftheday.
ThesectarianssawAnathapindikacomingandsaid,Hey,letsbequietfora
while.ThispersonisafolloweroftheBuddha.TheBuddhasfollowerslikequiet
people.Maybeifwerequiet,hellcomeoverandtalktous.Sotheyfellquiet.
WhenAnathapindikacame,theyaskedhim:So.ThisBuddhayoureastudent
of:Whatarehisviews?AndAnathapindikasaid,Ireallydontknowthetotal
extentofhisviews.Whataboutthemonks?Whataretheirviews?Andhe
responded,Idontknowtotallywhattheirviewsare,either.Thenwhatabout
you?theyaskedhim.Whatareyourviews?Andheresponded,Well,Illbe
happytotellyoumyviews,butIdliketohearyourviewsfirst.
Sotheytoldhimtheirviews.Onemansaid,Theworldiseternal.Onlythis
istrue;everythingelseisfalseandworthless.Someoneelsesaid,No,theworld
isnoteternal.Onlythisistrue;everythingelseisfalseandworthless.Andsoon
downtheline.
Anathapindikasresponsewas:Thosewhoholdtoanyoftheseviewssuffer
becausetheyreclingingtotheview.Theviewisconditioned,andwhenever
theresclingingtoanythingconditioned,theresboundtobesuffering.Sotheyre
clingingtostress.Thesectariansthensaid,Well,whataboutyourview?And
hesaid,essentially,Allviewsareconditioned.Whateverisconditioned,you
havetoletgoof.Theysaid,Well,then,byyourlogic,yourviewtooisacause
forsuffering,foryoureclingingtosomethingconditioned.Andhesaid,No,
thisistheviewthatleadsbeyondsuffering,becauseitteachesyouultimately
howtoletgoofeverythingconditioned,includingviews.
Accordingtothestory,thisleftthemabashed.Theyjustsattherewiththeir
headsdrooping,atalossforwords.Sohegotupandleft.Whenhetoldthe
Buddhawhathadhappened,theBuddhasaid,Thisisagoodwaytodealwith
thosepeople.
146
SothisistheBuddhasapproach.Notallviewsareacauseofsuffering.Right
viewleadsyouawayfromsufferingbecauseitallowsyoutodotwothings.First,
youcanuseitasatooltouprootyourclingingtoeverythingelse.Then,because
itteachesyoutorecognizeallyourattachmentswherevertheyare,itteachesyou
howtoturnaroundandletgoofrightviewitself.
PeopleoftencometotheDhammathinkingthatwereheretogetbeyond
concepts.ButtheyrunintoconceptsintheBuddhasteachings,andtherefore
theyfeelthattheBuddhasbeinginconsistent.Whatsinconsistent,though,is
theirmisunderstanding.TheBuddhaneversaysthatwehavetodropconcepts
fromtheverybeginning.Hesaysyouuseconceptstogetbeyondconcepts.
ManypeopleinthemodernworldcometoBuddhismsufferingfromtheir
conceptualframework.Theyreraisedinamaterialistworldviewwhosebasic
conceptsthatlifecomesfromnothingandreturnstonothing,withabrief
chancetopursuepleasureintheinterimareprettydismal.Theybelievethatif
theycouldfreetheirmindsfromtheseconceptsandsimplydwellinthepresent
withnothoughtofwhathappensattheend,theydbehappy.Theydbeableto
squeezeasmuchpleasureoutofthepresentastheycouldbeforetheinevitable
hits.
Sotheylookforawaytobefreeofallconcepts.Whentheycomehere,
though,theyrunintoconcepts.TheyseetheBuddhasteachingsonkammaand
rebirth,andtheysay,Thisisinvalid;youcantmakepresuppositionsabout
thesethings.Nobodyknowsanythingaboutwhathappensbeforewereborn.
Nobodyknowsanythingaboutwhathappensafterwedie.DoesnttheBuddha
saythatyouhavetoprovethingsbeforeyoucanacceptthem?Allweknowis
thatyoucanblottheseissuesoutofthemindandbeinthepresentmoment
withoutanyconcepts,andthatshappiness.Sothatswhattheywantthe
Buddhasteachingstobe.TheydontrealizethattheyrejudgingtheBuddhas
teachingsbytheveryconceptsthataremakingthemmiserable.Theideathatwe
cantknowbeyondourimmediatesensoryexperience,sothereforewejusttryto
heightenourimmediatesensoryexperience:Thatsaconceptitself,andalthough
itmayaimatgoingbeyondconcepts,itdoesntreallygetyouthere.The
Buddhasconcepts,though,actuallygiveresults.Theyreveryopenaboutthe
factthatyouhavetouseconceptstogetbeyondconcepts,andtheirideaof
whatstherewhenthepathhasfreedyoufromconceptsismorethanjusta
pleasantoblivioninthepresent.Itsanotherdimensionentirely.
Thatswhatrightviewisallabout.Itsthereforyoutojudgetheconcepts
yourebringingtothepath,toseewhichonesfitintothestrategyofthepathto
thatdimensionnibbanaandwhichonesdont.TheBuddhaneversaysthathe
canofferanempiricalproofoftheteachingsonkamma,rebirth,ornibbana.But
hesaysthatifyoudoadopttheseideas,theyreveryhelpfulintakingyou
147
beyondsuffering.Inotherwords,heoffersapragmaticproof:Hehasyoulookat
theseconceptsintermsofwhattheydo,wheretheylead.Ifyoufindthatthey
leadyoutowantingtotrainthemindsoyoucangetridofthecravingthatleads
ontofuturerebirth,theyveperformedtheirfunction.
Thenasyousitdownheretomeditate,youcanputtheconceptsthatarenot
immediatelyrelevanttoyourmeditationaside.Ifyoufindthatyourehaving
troublestickingwiththemeditation,youcancallupthoseconceptsagainto
remindyourselfofwhyyourehere,toinduceafeelingofsamvega,adismayover
thepointlessnessoflifeasitsnormallylived;andafeelingofpasada,or
confidencethatiftheresanywayout,thishasgottobeit:trainingthemind,
learninghowtowatchthemindsoyoucanseewhereitsmisunderstandings
leadittosuffer,whereitsmisunderstandingsleadittocravethingsthatare
goingtocauseproblemsondowntheline.Andasfortheteachingonnibbana,it
remindsyouthatfreedomfromsufferingisntjustatotalblackout.Itsthe
highesthappinessthereis.
Inthisway,youcanusetheBuddhasinsightsonthesetopicstogivemore
impetustopractice.Afterall,weredoingsomethingimportanthere.Werenot
justtryingtohangoutinthepresentmomentandsqueezeasmuchintensityout
ofitaswecan.TheBuddhasaysthatourintentions,iftheyreunskillful,standin
thewayoftheultimatehappiness.Sowereheretowatchourintentions.Thisis
wheretheteachingofkammaisalwaysandimmediatelyrelevanttoyour
meditation,andwhytheBuddhastressestheissueofkammaoverandover
again.
TheearlyBuddhistsoftenmadethepointthattheirteachingsonkammawere
whatsetthemapartfromalltheotherteachingsavailableatthetime.For
instance,theBuddhisttakeonkammaisntthedeterministicviewthatsome
peopleheldtoatthattime.Anditsnotaviewoftotalchaos,either.Itsa
nonlinearpattern.Andtheimportantelementinthatnonlinearpatternisthat
partofyourexperienceisshapedbypastintentionsandpartofitsshapedby
yourpresentintentions.Youcantdoanythingaboutpastintentions,butyoucan
changeyourpresentones.Soyoufocusthere.Thatswhywerefocusedonthe
presentmoment:tolookatourintentions.Whenyouhaverightview,you
realizethatthatswhywerehere.
Thishelpsgivefocustoyourmeditation.Oncethemindisstill,youintendto
keepitstill.Thatsaskillfulintention.Thenyoucanstartlookingattheprocessof
intentioninadeeperway,toseeexactlyhowintentionhappens,howmuchit
shapesyourpresentexperience,howyoufabricateyourbreath,howyou
fabricatethoughts,howyoufabricatefeelingsandperceptions.Youwanttolook
intothat.Thatshowdiscernmentisdeveloped.Yourenotgoingtomaintainthis
kindoffocusunlessyouhavearealappreciationthat,yes,youractionsreallyare
148
importantinthisissueofcreatingsufferingnotonlynowbutonintothefuture.
Thisishowtheproperuseofconceptsgivesfocustoyourmeditation.
Awhileback,Iwasgivingatalktoagroupofpeopleonkamma.Theyd
beenmeditatingforquiteawhile,soItriedtomakethepointthatan
understandingofkammareallyfocusesyourmeditationinanimportantway.It
helpsfocusyouontheissueofwhatyouredoingthatsskillfulandwhatyoure
doingthatsnotskillful,andrealizinghowmuchyourdoingdoesshapeyour
experience.
Theyallgavemeablanklook.ThenIrealizedthattheydbeentaughtthat
thereisnosuchthingasskillfulorunskillful,goodorbadinthemeditation.Its
simplyaquestionofhangingoutinthepresentmoment,squeezingasmuch
nonconceptualintensityoutofthepresentmomentasyoucanwhichisan
ideatheBuddhaneveradvocated.Thatsnotwhatwereherefor.Imean,there
willbetimeswhenyounoticethatbeingverymindfulinthepresentmakes
experiencesmoreintense.Yourelesscaughtupinyourthoughtworlds,andthe
pleasureinthebreathgrowsstronger.Everythingbecomesmoreimmediately
felt.Butthatsnotwhywerehere.Youwanttolookdeeper:Whatisitabout
intentionthatmakesthedifferenceinthepresentmoment?Alwayslookforthat,
becausethatswherefreedomisgoingtobefoundinbeingsensitivetoyour
intentions.Whenyouretotallysensitivetothemandtotallyunderstandhow
theycausestress,youcanletthemgo.ThisiswhattheBuddhacallsthekamma
thatleadstotheendofkamma.
Thisiswhyanunderstandingofcausalityissoessential.Ifeverythingwere
deterministic,yourexperiencewouldhavebeentotallydecidedbysomeoutside
beingorsomeimpersonalfatealongtimeago.Therewouldbenopointin
practicing.Therewouldbenothingthepracticecouldaccomplish.If,ontheother
hand,everythingwerechaotic,youcouldntbesurethatthelessonsyoulearned
yesterdaywouldgiveanyguidanceinknowingwhattodoskillfullytoday.But
thefactthatthingsarenonlinearandnottotallydeterminedbythepastthat
partofyourexperienceisbeingdeterminedbywhatyourechoosingtofocuson,
whatyourechoosingtodoandsayandthinkrightnow:Thatleavesanopening
forthepractice,becauseyoucanchangewhatyouintendrightnow.Andthefact
thatthingsfollowapatternallowsyourknowledgeofwhatsskillfultogrow
overtime.Whenyoubelievethat,youactonit.Youtrytomakeyourintentions
moreandmoreskillful.
Sowhenwecometothepractice,welearntoadoptnewconceptsthathavea
goodimpactonthemind.Thatsthetestapragmatictest.Inthebeginning,you
begintoseethatthisbeliefdoeshelphere,itdoeshelpthere,soyoupursueit
moreandmorepersistently.Thenultimatelyyoudiscoverthatitsabighelpin
149
puttinganendtosuffering.Thatsyourrealproofthattheconceptsworkand
onlythendoyougetbeyondconcepts.
Evenwhenyoureinconcentration,onceyoudropdirectedthoughtand
evaluation,youstillhaveperceptions.Infactallthestatesofconcentrationupto
thedimensionofnothingnessarebasedonaperceptionthelabelyouholdin
mindthatkeepsyouinthatstateofstillness.Eventhoughtheresnodiscursive
thought,theresstillaconceptthere.
Sothepracticeisamatteroflearninghowtouseyourconceptswisely,
pickingandchoosingwhichonesarehelpfulandwhichonesarenot.Knowing
whenyouneedtothinkdiscursively,whenyoucandropdiscursivethoughtand
justbewithoneperception:Thatsaskillbasedonrightview.
Ifyoulearnhowtomakeyourviewsrightandthenapplythoserightviews
tounderstandinghowthemindcreatessuffering,thatshowviewsultimately
takeyoubeyondviews.Yourrightviewwillshowyouhowtoletgoofright
viewwhenyouneedto.Butdontbetooquicktodropit.Dontbethesortof
personwholeavestheraftonthenearshoreandtriestofloatthroughtheair
overtheriver.Usetheraftwhenitshelpful.ThatswhytheBuddhaleftit
behindforus.Thatswhatitsfor.
150

Kamma&Rebirth

February29,2008

Werebornintothisworldwithoutaninstructionbooklet.Theresnothingto
explainwhichissuesinlifeareimportant,whicharetheimportantthingsto
know.Wedoknowwhenwefeelsufferingandweknowwhenwefeelrelative
ease,butthatsaboutasmuchasweknow.Aswegrowup,therearepeopleto
explainthingstous.Thisiswherehumanbeingshaveanadvantageover
animals.Theresnobodytoexplainanythingtoadogoracatabouthowtolive.
TheresthatwonderfulstorybyMarkTwainwherethemotherdogexplainsthe
humanworldtoherpuppy.Ofcoursethatsfantasy.Whatsinterestingabout
thatstoryisthemotherhasherinformationallgarbledup.Presbyterianisthe
nameofadogbreed;heroismmeansagriculturethatsortofthing.
Actually,gettinggarbledinformationcanbeoneofthedangersofthehuman
world,too.Ourparentshavetaughtusthingsfromchildhoodandtheymay
havegottenthingsallmixedupaswell.
Sotherearealotofthingswedontknow,andwehavetomakealotof
decisionsbasedonuncertaininformation.Whataretheimportantissuesinlife?
Andwhatisthislife,anyhow?Isitpartofalongerstoryorisitjustthisstory,
thewholestoryrighthere,rightnow:birth,aging,death?Andhowaboutour
actions?Weseemtodecidewhattodo.Weseemtomakechoices,thosechoices
seemtohaveresults,andthereseemstobesomesortofpatterntotheresults.
Someactionsseemtoleadtogoodresults,otheractionstobadresults.Butare
thingsastheyseem?Wedontreallyknow.
Sowefindourselvesactingonassumptionsastowhatleadstohappinessand
whatleadstopain,thosetwothingsthatwedoknowwhenweexperiencethem.
Butthequestionis,isthequestforhappinessreallyworthwhileorshouldwebe
lookingforsomethingelse?Theresreallynohardproofforanyoftheseissues,
soweactonassumptions.
Whenyoucometomeditateyourealreadyactingoncertainassumptions.
Oneisthatthetrainingofthemindisworthwhile.Thatmeansyoubelievethat
youractionsareimportantandthatknowledgeandtrainingwillmakea
differenceinhowyouact.Thosearebigassumptionsrightthere,butwhenyou
lookatyourlife,youveseenthatactingonthoseassumptionshasbroughtyou
atleastsomehappiness.
151
Thatscalledapragmaticproof.Itsnotanempiricalproof.Anempirical
proofwouldbeabletotracetheenergythatgoesfromourdecisiontoacttothe
actualaction,andfromtheactiontotheresultsthatweexperience.Youdhaveto
runexperimentswithcontrolsandactuallybeabletomeasurehappinessina
verypreciseway.Butyoucantdothat.Allthoseteststhattheysaytheyverun
aboutmeasuringthehappinessindifferentcountriesormeasuringthehappiness
ofpeopleindifferentsocialgroups,withdifferentlevelsofincome:Whenyou
askpeopletoratetheirhappinessonascalefrom1to10,whatkindofscienceis
that?Whatsyour8comparedtosomebodyelses8onascaleof1to10?
Sotheresreallynoempiricalproofforanyofthesethings.Butthereisa
personalpragmaticproof.Youfindthatwhenyouactoncertainassumptions,
thingsseemtoturnoutinaparticularway,andsomeassumptionsleadtobetter
resultsthanothers.ThatsthekindofproofthattheBuddhahasyouacton.He
teachesabouttheprincipleofaction,thatactionisreal,andthatyourintentionis
whatdeterminestheresultoftheaction.TherewerepeopleintheBuddhastime
whosaidthatactionwasunreal,thatitonlyseemedtoexist.ButtheBuddhasaid
tolookathowthosepeoplelived.Didtheyliveasifactiondidntexist?They
chosedifferentcoursesofactionandpreferredsometoothers.Thisshowsthat
onapragmaticleveltheystillbelievedthatactionwasimportantandthatsome
actionswerepreferabletoothers,someweremoreskillfulthanothers.They
reallywouldhaveanimpactonyourhappiness.
Therewerealsopeoplewhosaidthatyouractionsdidntreallyleadto
happinessorpain.Happinessandpainwereselfcausedandveryarbitrary.And
yetthosepeoplehadatheoryallworkedoutastowhythiswasso,andwhyit
wasimportanttobelievethis,andhowtoliveinresponsetothatbelief.Inother
words,theystillbelievedthatknowledgewasimportant,actionswereimportant,
andonewayofactionwaspreferabletoanother.
ThisishowtheBuddharecommendedthatyoulookattheissueofaction.
Whatseriesofbeliefsaboutactionleadyoutoactinaskillfulwayandgivegood
results?Theresasenseofgreaterorlesserhappinessthatyoucanknowonlyfor
yourself.Youcantcompareyourhappinesswithsomebodyelses.Butyoucan
lookinside.
SotheBuddhanevertriedtoofferanempiricalproofforhisteachingon
kammaortheteachingonrebirth.Thepeoplewhoclaimthatsciencehasproven
eitherofthese,orthattheyhaveproventheseprinciplestothemselvesinan
empiricalway,arenotdoingtheBuddhasteachingsanyfavor.Youcantreally
provethesethingsempirically,andpeoplewhoreallyunderstandempirical
proofswilllookdownonBuddhismformakingthatsortofclaim.TheBuddha
himselfdidnttrytogiveanempiricalproof.Hedidsay,though,thatifyouact
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incertainwaysyouwillfindagreatersenseofease,agreatersenseofwellbeing
inlife.Andtheseactionswilldependoncertainassumptions.
Forinstance,thequestionofrebirth:Ifyoubelievethatthislifeisallweve
gotandtheendoflifeisuncertain,wouldyoubesittingheremeditating?
Maybe,maybenot.Itsallprettyarbitrary.Wouldyoubekindtootherpeople?
Maybe,maybenot.Butifyoudidgoontheassumptionthatthisispartofa
longerstoryshapedbyyouractions,andthatyouractionsareshapedbyyour
mind,youdbesuretoputmoreeffortintotrainingthemindtobemeticulous
andcareful.Youdtakewhatevertimeandeffortisneededtogetthemindin
goodshape.
ThisisoneofthereasonswhytheBuddharecommendedthatwetakehis
teachingsonkammaandrebirthasaworkinghypothesis.Hesaidthathe
learnedinthecourseofhisAwakeningthatthislifeisactuallypartofalonger
storyofmanylifetimesthathavebeengoingonforaverylongtimeandcould
potentiallycontinuegoingonforaverylongtimetocome.Inotherwords,the
principleofrebirthistrue.Anditsalsotruethatoneofthereasonsfortraining
themindisultimatelytobeabletoputanendtothatstory,becausetheresa
greaterhappinessthatcomeswhentheresnomorerebirth.Buthealsostated
thatevenifthiswerenotthecase,youdliveahappier,betterlifebyassuming
thatitis.
SowhenyouwonderabouttheBuddhasteachingsonthesetopics,
rememberthatwereallactingonassumptions.Theproblemformanyofusis
thatourassumptionsarenotarticulatedorwehaventworkedoutthe
consequencesoftheassumptionswehavearticulated.Thismeansthatwhenwe
encounterafullyarticulatedassumption,itmayseemstrange.Wehavetoreflect
backonourselves:Whatareourassumptionsaboutaction,aboutlife,about
happiness,abouthowtheprincipleofcausalityworksinourlives?Andthen
whichassumptionsreallyleadtothegreatesthappinessifweactonthem,ifwe
keepouractionsconsistentwithwhatwebelieve?
ThatstheroleoffaithintheBuddhistteachings.FormanyofusintheWest,
faithhasgottenabadname.Wevehaditpushedonusasavirtuefromsome
circles:Thelessaparticularpropositionorideamakessense,thenthemorefaith
youhaveinit,thebetterwhichisarealinsulttothehumanmind.Itsaninsult
tobetoldthatwehavetotakeirrationalandinconsistentdoctrinesonfaithand
thatwehavetobelievethemmorestronglythanwebelievetheevidence
appearingrightbeforeoureyesorinourveryownhearts.
FortunatelythatsnothowtheBuddhateachesfaith.Forhim,eventaking
thingsonreasonisatypeoffaith.Justbecausesomethingisreasonabledoesnt
guaranteethatitsgoingtobetrue.Butwhensomethingisreasonable,itsalot
easiertoactonitandnotfeeltornupinside.Healsoasksthatwhenyoutake
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somethingonfaith,youhavetoremindyourselfofhowlittleyoureallydo
know.Theassumptionsyouactonmayseemthemostreasonable,andsofarin
yourexperiencetheymayhavegiventhebestresultswhenyouactonthem,but
themoreclearlyyourealizethatthisdoesntconstituterealknowledge,themore
yourespurredtocontinuepracticinguntilyoureallydoknow.
TheBuddhagivestheexampleofanelephanthunterintheforest.The
elephanthunterwantsabigbullelephanttodotheworkheneedsdone.Sohe
goesintotheforestandheseesbigfootprints.Now,becausehesanexperienced
elephanthunter,hedoesntimmediatelyjumptotheconclusionthatthesemust
bethefootprintsofabullelephant.Afterall,therearedwarffemaleswithbig
feet.Theycantdotheworkhewantsdone.Butheseesthatthefootprintsmay
indicateabullelephant,sohefollowsthem.Noticethat.Hedoesfollowthem.
Hedoesntsay,Well,Idontreallyknow,soImightaswellgiveup.Illfollow
somethingonlyifIknowitllleadtoabullelephant.Hewantstheelephantbut
hedoesntknowforsurewhereitis.Theseseemtobethemostlikelyfootprints,
sohefollowsthem.Thenheseesscratchmarkshighupinthetrees.Again,he
doesntjumptotheconclusionthatthosemustbethemarksofabigbull
elephant,becausetherearetallfemaleswithtusks.Theycouldhavemadethose
marks.Buthekeepsfollowingthetracks.Andfinallyhecomestoaclearing
whereheactuallyseesabigbullelephant.Thatswhenheknowsthathesgot
theelephanthewants.
Thesameholdstruewiththepractice.Whenyouexperiencethepleasureof
jhana,whenyouattainpsychicpowers:Thosearejustfootprintsandscratch
marks.Therealthingiswhenyouvehadanexperienceofthedeathless.You
realizethattheseassumptionsthatyouactedonthepowerofyouractions,the
truthofcausalityareprinciplesthathaveheldgoodfromthetimeofthe
Buddhauntilnow.Yourassumptionthatifyouactincertainways,theresults
tendtofollowapattern;yourassumptionthatitsworthyourwhileinthisshort
anduncertainlifetodevoteasmuchtimeasyoucantothetrainingofthemind:
Youvefoundthatthoseassumptionsworked.Theyveledyoutoagenuine
happinessyouknowforsure.Youknowthatthishappinessdoesntdependon
theaggregates,doesntdependonspaceortime.Itsnotgoingtobetouchedby
thedeathofthebody.Thatswhenyouknowyouvefoundthebullelephant.
ThatswhenyoureallyknowthattheBuddhasteachingsaretrue.
Sotherealizationthatyouretakingcertainthingsonfaith,butyoudont
reallyknowthem:Thatsmeanttobeaspurtocontinuewiththepractice.
Whateverdoubtsyoumighthavearenotconsideredaviceorsomethingtobe
denied,forthatwouldcreatelotsofdishonestyinthemind.Instead,you
acknowledgethemandtakethemasanincentivetopracticefurtheruntilyouget
tothepointsomedaywhenyoureallyknowforyourself.Forsure.
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ItsinthiswaythattheBuddhasteachingsonkammaandrebirtharenotan
insulttoyourintelligence.Insteadtheyreaspurtouseyourintelligenceeven
furthersothatyoucangetyourselfoutoftheignoranceintowhichweareborn
andintotheknowledgeofahappinessthatdoesntdie.
155

TheHumanCondition

January10,2005

Humanlife,whenyouthinkaboutit,canbeprettymiserable.Thinkofhow
fewpeopleactuallygetwhattheywantoutoflife,andyethowmuchtheyre
drivenbytheirdesires.Sometimestheirinabilitytogetwhattheywantcanbe
blamedonlaziness,butoftenitsbecauseoffactorstotallybeyondtheircontrol.
Awavecomesupoutoftheocean,washingthousandsofpeopleaway,andall
theirplans,theirhopes,theirdesiresgetwashedawayaswell.Whatwereleft
withisthousandsofcorpses,wreckedbuildingsandthatsjustonedays
events.Thedaysadduptoyears,andtheyearstocenturies:centuriesof
frustrateddesires.Sowhatweneedisawayofdealingwithfrustrateddesire,
andthatsoneofthegiftstheBuddhaoffersus.
Hetalksabouttheemotionsthatcomefromdesire.Theresgrief,theresjoy,
andtheresequanimity.Hedivideseachoftheseintotwotypes:householder
griefandrenunciategrief;householderjoyandrenunciatejoy;householder
equanimityandrenunciateequanimity.Heusesthesedifferentemotionsasa
wayofmappingoutthepath.
Mostofusliveinhouseholdergrief,householderjoy,andhouseholder
equanimity.Householdergriefisthetypethatcomeswhenyoudontgetthe
sights,sounds,smells,tastes,andtactilesensationsyouwant.Youdontgetthe
ideasyouwant.Householderjoyiswhenyoufinallydogetwhatyouwantin
termsofsights,sounds,smells,tastes,tactilesensations,andideas.Householder
equanimityiswhenyoustayequanimousinthemidstofthesethings,whether
theyregoodorbad.
Mostofusmuckaroundinthesethreetypesofemotions.Wesuffergriefand
sowelookforjoyintermsofsights,sounds,smells,tastes,tactilesensations,and
ideas.Whenwedontgetwhatwewant,thatbringsmoregrief,butweturn
aroundtolookforjoyinthesameplaces.
WhattheBuddhawantsustodoistoturnourattentiontowhathecalls
renunciategrief,renunciatejoy,renunciateequanimity.Renunciategriefiswhen
youreflectonhowyouhaventattainedwhatyouwantintermsoffreeingthe
mindfromsuffering.Youhaventreachedthegoalofthepath.Renunciatejoyis
thejoythatcomeswhenyouhavereachedthegoal.Andthenrenunciate
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equanimityisthepeaceandequanimitythatcomewhenyouknowthepathis
completed.
OneoftheBuddhasmostinterestingtacticsisthatwhenwesufferfrom
householdergrief,thewaytogetourselvesaboveandbeyondthatistotryto
transformit,notintohouseholderjoy,butintorenunciategrief.Householder
griefandjoy,hesays,dontprovideuswithmuchhope,whereasrenunciate
griefatleastgivesussomehope.Itpointstothewayout.
Onewaytofosterrenunciategriefistoreflectonthelimitationsofhuman
life.Thatchantwehadjustnow,Iamsubjecttoaging,subjecttoillness,subject
todeath,subjecttoseparationfromallthatIlove,followedbythereflectionon
kamma:Inthefulltextofthesutta,theBuddhadoesntstopthere,withjustthe
factthatyouaresubjecttothesethings.Hesaystoreflectonthefactthatall
people,allbeingsman,woman,child,ordainedornot,whateverlevelofbeing
youreonaresubjecttothesethings.
ThisisoneofthewaystheBuddharepeatedlyhasusapproachallourgrief
anddissatisfaction.Hesays,Openyoureyes.Areyoutheonlypersonsuffering
thesethings?Thisishissolutionforthequestion,Whyme?Theanswer,of
course,isthatitsnotjustyou.Ithappenstoeverybodywithnoexceptions.Its
amazingwhatopeningyoureyeslikethiswilldoforyou.Anditsironic,how
realizingthehugeamountofsufferingineverylifecanmakeyoursufferingseem
less.Butitworks.Itchangesyourwholeperspective.Youstartseeingthefutility
oflookingforyourhappinessinsights,sounds,smells,tastes,tactilesensations,
andideas.
Inotherwords,theBuddhabasicallywantsyoutotransformyourgriefinto
samvega,anoverwhelmingsenseofdismay,notatyourownpersonalproblems,
butatthenatureofhumanexistenceasawhole.Andthereasonforthisisthat
samvegamotivatesyoutolookforawayout.Ofcourse,samvegaonitsownis
notaverycomfortableemotiontohave.Butitprovidestheimpetustopasada,the
senseofconfidencethattheremustbeawayout.
Thewaytoworkwithrenunciategriefisnottogolookingforsights,sounds,
andsoforth.Youworkwithitbyfocusingyoureffortsonfollowingthepath.
Thisiswhythiskindofgriefisausefulgrief.Itkeepsyouonthepathofpractice.
Oftenyouhearpeoplesaying,Donttrytopushtoohardinthepractice;dont
haveanysenseofgoal,becauseyoullgetfrustratedoverthefactthatyou
haventreachedyourgoal.Butthatclosesallthedoors.Whatyouwantisthe
attitudethatImnotwhereIwanttobe,butthereisawaytogetwhereIwant
tobe.Thatgivesyoutherightsenseofdirection.Yourenotgoingbackto
householderjoy,withallitsuncertainties.Youreaimingatrenunciatejoy.
Sowheneveryoufindyourselfasking,Whyme?theanswerisalways,
Well,whynotyou?Ithappenstoeverybody.Andwhatareyougoingtodo
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aboutit?Youcantjuststewaroundinyourownpersonalproblems.Youcan
dealwiththem,buttheonlywaytodothatistoopenuptothelarger
perspectivethatenablesyoutogetsomethingoutofthegrief,togetsomething
outofthedisappointment.
ThisiswhyAjaanLeefocusessomuchonwhatarecalledtheeightworldly
dhammas:gain,loss,status,lossofstatus,praise,criticism,pleasure,andpain.
Hesaysalleightofthemhavetheiruses.Wedontlikethenegativeones,but
theyhavetheirusesfordevelopingasenseofdirection.Whenlosshitsyou,if
youcanrealize,Oh,thisiswhathappenstohumanbeingseverywhere,then
youcantakeitasalessonsothatyoudontgetcarriedawaybygainwhengain
comesback.Thesamewithlossofstatus:Thisiswhathappenstopeoplewhen
theylosestatus.Afterall,whosewasit?Statusissomethingtheworldgivesyou.
Youmayfeelthatyouveearnedit,butiftheworldgivesit,theworldcantakeit
away.
Insteadoftakingthesethingspersonally,youusethegains,youusethe
status,forwhateverpurposesyoufindskillful.Whenyoulosethesethings,you
canlearnlessons.Youcanturnlosstoausefulpurposeaswell.Attheveryleast,
youlearnwhoyourtruefriendsare,bothinsideandout.Ifyougotcomplacent
whenyouwerewealthyandpowerful,youcannowseeifcomplacencyisreally
yourfriend.Thiswayyoucanreflectonthenatureofthehumanconditionand
notgetcarriedawaybythegoodthingswhentheycomebackagain.
ThisishowtheBuddhahasyoudealwithdisappointment.Donttryto
assuageitbylookingformorepleasureinworldlythings,forthat,hesays,is
whymostpeoplegetentangledinsensuality.Theydontseeanyotherescape
frompain,disappointment,andgrief,asidefromscramblingaftersensual
pleasures,worldlythings.Hetellsyoutosetyoursightsinadifferentdirection.
Renunciategrief,eventhoughitsstillakindofgrief,isbetterthangettinglostin
householdergriefandjoy,becauserenunciategriefcanleadtorenunciatejoy,
thekindofjoythatsnotaffectedbyanychangeatall.
Thatswhywereworkingonthesenseofeaseandwellbeingthatcomes
fromhavingthemindinconcentration.Thatspartofthepathtowardrenunciate
joy.Wedonthavetowaituntiltheveryendofthepathtogainsomeofthisjoy,
youknow.Itcomeswiththesenseofwellbeingyougainwhenyoucenterthe
mind.That,inandofitself,remindsyouthattherearealternativestorunning
aftersensualpleasures.Theresthepleasureofawellcenteredmind,amind
thatsnotaffectedbythings,thathasitsowninternalsenseofwellbeing.It
doesntneedtodependonanythingelseoutside.
Sowhenyoufindyourselfwallowingingrief,remembertheBuddhas
instructionsonwheretotakethatgrief,whattodowithit,howtofindaway
out,sothatyoudontstaystuckinthatviciouscycleofgoingfromgrieftojoy,to
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grief,tojoy,togrief,togrief,togriefbasedontheupsanddownsofthingsyou
experiencethroughthesenses.Takethatgriefandpointitinanotherdirection.
MyEnglishteacher,duringmysenioryearinhighschool,oncemadea
remarkthatthesignofagreatpersonisthatheorshecanreflectonhisorher
ownpersonalproblemsbutthen,fromthatstandpoint,cangeneralize,
universalizethemtothehumanconditionasawhole.Shewastalkingabout
greatpoets,butitsalsothenatureofanywisemindnottowallowinitsown
personalissues,buttogeneralizefromthem,toseehowthisisthewayitisfor
humanbeingseverywhere.
ThiswaswhattheBuddhadidonthenightofhisAwakening.He
rememberedhispastlivesovermanyeonsifyouthinkyourecarryingaround
alotofnarratives,imaginewhathesawbutthenhebroadenedhisgazeto
encompassthecosmosasawhole.Hewasnttheonlyonesufferingrebirthafter
rebirth.Everybodyhasbeendoingthis.Butonlyafterseeingthisasauniversal
storywasheabletoseetheunderlyingpattern:Peoplearereborninlinewiththe
qualityoftheirintentionalactionsbasedonrightorwrongviews.Thatuniversal
insightwaswhatenabledhimtoturnandlookatthepresentmoment,andto
lookattherightplaceinthepresentmoment:hisownviews,hisownintentions.
Onlyafterlookingattheuniversalpicturewasheabletodepersonalizetheissue
ofsufferinganditscauses.Whenhehaddepersonalizedit,hecouldlookatit
simplyasaprocess.Whenhevieweditasaprocess,hewasabletofindtheway
out.
Yourenotthefirstpersontosufferandyourenotgoingtobethelast.Ifyou
dontsetyoursightsinthedirectionofrenunciategriefandjoyandequanimity,
youllneverfindawayout.Butifyoulearntobroadenyourgazetoencompass
thewholehumancondition,thatsthebeginningoftheroadtofreedom.
Sobroadenyourgaze.Dontjustlookinside.Lookaroundyourselfaswell,
fortherearelessonstobelearnedthere,too.
159

ThePathhasaGoal

February12,2008

WhentheBuddhataughtthepracticeasapath,oneoftheimplicationsisthat
thepathgoessomewhere.Youfollowthepathbecauseittakesyouwhereyou
wanttogo.Thatwouldseemobvious,yetyoureadsomanytimesthatthepath
isthegoalorthatitsapathwithoutagoal.Whatkindofpathisthat?Itsnot
reallyapath.Youwonderwhatsgoingon.
ThinkaboutthestoryoftheBuddhainhisquestforAwakening:Itwas
nothingbutastoryofpathsandgoals.Firsthemasteredsomeveryhighlevelsof
concentrationthathisearlyteacherstaughtasthegoal.Onewasthedimension
ofnothingness;theotherwasthedimensionofneitherperceptionnornon
perception.YettheBuddharealizedthatneitheroftheseattainmentswasthe
goalforwhichhewaslooking.Soheleftthoseteachersandwentofftotryto
findanotherpathofpracticethatwouldtakehimtohisgoal:thedeathless,a
happinessthatwasfreefromchange,freefromaging,illness,anddeath.
Sohetriedthepathofausteritiesforawhileandthatdidntwork,either
triedthemforsixwholeyears.Imaginetheamountofinvestmenthehadin
hopingtheydwork.Youdontputyourselfthroughthatkindoftormentunless
youthinktheresgoingtobeareward,orwithoutdevelopingacertainamount
ofpridearoundyourpowersofendurance.Yetaftersixyearsherealizedthat
thatpathlednowhere,offerednoreward.Sohewaswillingtodropthat
investment,dropthatpride,forthesakeofsomethingbetter.
Thatswhenherememberedthetimewhenhewasyoungand,whilehis
fatherwasplowing,hesatunderatreeandenteredthefirstjhana.Thequestion
cametohismind:Couldthisbethepath?Andhismindgaveanintuitive
response:Yes.
Sohefollowedthatpathandhefoundthatitinvolvedmorethanjustthe
practiceofjhana,whichisjustoneofthefactorsofthepath.Whenhefinally
reachedthedeathless,herealizedthatthepathleadinghimtherehadseven
otherfactors.Andheknewthisbecausethesefactors,actingtogether,brought
himtothedeathless.Itreallydidgowherehewantedtogo.Sothefirstthinghe
taughtwasthepath,andthatwashiscentralteachingfortherestofhislife.
Atonepointinhislateryearshecomparedhimselftoamanwhohadgone
throughthejungleandfoundanoldpath.Itwasallovergrown,buthefollowed
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itandfoundthatitledtoanoldcapitalcitythathadoncebeenprosperous.The
buildingsweresomewhatfallendown,buttheywerestilllivable.Itwasstilla
gloriouscity.Sohewentoutofthejungleandtoldtheking:Getyourmento
clearthispathanditwilltakeyoutothiswonderful,gloriouscity.
SotheimagerythroughouttheBuddhasteachingsisthatifyoufollowthis
path,itgoessomeplace.Andtheplacewhereitgoesisreallyspecial:freefrom
aging,illness,anddeath;ahappinesstotallyunconditioned.
Butsomepeoplehaveraisedthequestion:WhatabouttheBuddhasearlier
attainments,thedimensionofnothingness,thedimensionofneitherperception
nornonperception?Afterall,theBuddhadoespointoutinsomeofhisother
suttasthatyoucanusetheseattainmentsasthepathaswell.Basedonthese
attainments,youcandevelopthediscernmentthatleadstorelease.Whatsthe
properattitudetohavetowardtheBuddhasearlierattainments?
First,rememberthattheBuddhasearlyteachershadviewedthese
attainmentsasthegoal.Onceyougotthere,youjuststopped.Thatwasit.You
continuedpracticingthesethingsbutthatwasit.Youdidnttakethemanywhere
else.TheBuddha,however,regardedthemasapathtosomethingfurther.In
otherwords,heusedthemasabasisforfurtherinsight.Insteadofseeingthem
asgoals,hesawthemasapath.Hedidntequategoalswithpath.Hemadea
cleardistinction.
Itslikesomebodyscramblingthroughaforestandfinallyarrivingatagood
road.Butinsteadoffollowingtheroadtoagoodplace,hejustliesdowninthe
road.ThatswhattheBuddhasearlierteachersweredoing.Youknowwhat
happenswhenyouliedowninroads.Yougetrunover.Aging,illness,anddeath
cancomebarrelingdowntheroadatanytime.
Sowhenyougettotheroad,youfollowit.Youdevelopyourconcentration
togetherwithalltheotherelementsofthepath,andthenyoufindthatitreally
doesleadtosomethingspecial.Sowhateveryouhearaboutgoallesspathsor
pathsthataregoals.JustrecentlyIreadaboutameditatorwhohasbeen
meditatingfor30years.Hecallshimselfanexperiencedmeditatorandhesays
thathehasntgottenanywherebutthatsperfectlyfinewithhimbecausethats
thewholepointofmeditation:realizingtheresnowheretogo.Idontknow
whichismoredisheartening,thefactthathesbeensuchalousymeditatorforso
longorthathefeelssogoodaboutbeingalousymeditator.
Youcanttakepeoplelikethatseriously.Youcanttakethemasguides.The
Buddhataughtskillsthatgetresults.That,hesaid,isthetestforanykindof
practice:theresultsitleadsto.WhenhetaughttheKalamas,hetoldthemthat
whenyouseeforyourselfthatfollowingacertainpracticeleadstoablameless
happiness,followthatpractice.Ifyouseethatapracticeispraisedbythewise,
followthatpractice.Ifapracticeleadstounskillfulbehaviorrootedingreed,
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anger,anddelusion;unskillfulbehaviorintakinglife,breakinganyofthe
precepts,havingwrongviews,havinggreed,illwill,anyofthesethings:Realize
thatthatpathofpracticeleadsyoutoabadplace,sodontgothere.Followthe
paththatactuallygivesgoodresults.
Thiswholepatternofcauseandeffect,actionandresult,isourguideline.Its
ourtestforwhatsagoodpathandwhatsnot.Sowhensomeoneisbragging
thattheyhaveapaththatdoesntleadtoresults,youknowthattheyvebeen
followingabadpath.Youlookforthepaththatdoesgiveresultsanddoesnt
scoffatpeoplewhowantresults.Itsverysadwhenyouhearaboutpeople
saying,Doyouwanthappiness?Anunconditionedhappiness?Pooryou.
Whatswrongwithwantingahappinessthatstotallyblameless,ahappiness
thatdoesnttakeanythingawayfromanyoneelse?Ifyoudonthavethatkindof
happiness,theonlykindofhappinessyouregoingtofindinlifeisthetypethat
doestakethingsfromothers.
Iwasreadingawhilebackaboutateacherwhosaidhewouldntwanttolive
inaworldwithoutsufferingbecausehewouldntthenbeabletoexercisehis
compassionwhichisaveryselfishwish:Youwanttheretobepeoplewhoare
sufferingsothatyoucanenjoybeingcompassionatetothem?Yoursenseof
wellbeingneedstofeedoffotherpeoplespain?Whatkindofidealisthat?The
bestpossibleidealistofollowapathleadingtoahappinessthatdoesntdepend
onotherpeoplessufferinginanyway,shape,orform.Thenyoucanshowthat
pathtootherpeople.Iftheyfeelsomoved,theycanpracticeit,too.Thatsthe
waytheBuddhataught,andtherehasntbeenanyimprovementonitsince.
Sotheresnothingwrongwithhavingagoal.AstheBuddhasaid,the
anguishthatcomesfromrealizingthatyouhaventreachedyourgoalismuch
betterthanthepleasurethatcomesfromindulginginsensualpleasures.Hetalks
aboutworldlyorhouseholdergriefandrenunciategrief.Householderjoyand
renunciatejoy.Householderequanimityandrenunciateequanimity.
Householdergriefisrealizingthatyoudliketohavepleasantsights,sounds,
smells,tastes,tactilesensations,andideas,butyouvegotunpleasantones.For
mostpeople,theantidotetothatistofindpleasantones,i.e.,householderjoy.
ButthatsnotthepaththeBuddharecommends.Herecommendsthatifyou
havehouseholdergrief,trytoreplaceitwithrenunciategrief.Inotherwords,
eventhoughthingsareuncomfortableoutside,thatsnottherealproblem.The
realproblemisthatyouhaventfoundadeathlesshappinessinside.Thegrief
thatcomeswhenyoureflectonthefactthatyouhaventreachedthedeathless
yetmotivatesyouintherightdirection:tofollowthepathleadingtorenunciate
joy.Thatsthejoythatcomeswhenyourealizethatthequalitiesyouve
developedinsidereallyhaveledtoAwakening.Fromthereyougotorenunciate
equanimity,thepeaceofmindthatcomeswhenyouveattainedyourgoal.
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Peopleoftenhaveimmatureattitudesaboutgoals,whichiswhysome
teacherssaytodropallideaofgoalswhenyoumeditate.Thatmaybeauseful
attitudeforshorttermmeditation,butforthelongtermitleadstoexperienced
meditatorswhoseexperienceofmeditationisofgoingnowhere,andwho
developaperversepridearoundtheirnowhereaswell.Thelongtermsolutionis
todevelopamatureattitudetowardyourgoal,onethatrealizesthateven
thoughthepathmaytaketime,youcantakecomfortinthefactthatitsagood
pathanditsheadedintherightdirection.Thisisthematurekindofattitudethat
reallydoesyieldresults.Thereisadeathlesshappiness,anditcanbefound
throughyourefforts.Dontletanyoneelsetellyouotherwise.

163

NotWhatYouAre,WhatYouDo

August24,2007

Whenyoufirstlookatateachinglikedependentcoarising,itseemsvery
abstractandveryfarawayfromanythingyoumightbedoinginthepractice.But
ifyoulookatitmorecarefully,youseethatitmakesawholeseriesofimportant
statementsthathaveanimmediatebearingonwhatyouredoingrighthere.
Tobeginwith,whentheBuddhatalksaboutthecausesofsuffering,he
doesnttraceitbacktowhatyouare.Hedoesntsayyousufferbecauseyoure
basicallybad,orbecauseyourebasicallygoodbutsomehowhavebeensocially
conditionedtoforgetyourtrueinnergoodness.Hecomesbackinsteadtowhat
youdo.Thatrightthereisaradicalstatement,anditopenshugepossibilities.Its
hardtochangewhatyouare,butyoucanchangeyouractionssimplythrough
knowledge,throughunderstandingwhichthingsyoudoaregoingtocause
suffering,whichstatesofmindleadtosuffering.Youcanlookforthoseandyou
canchangethem.
TotheextenttheBuddhadoestalkaboutwhatyouare,itsfaralongthepath
ofdependentcoarising,wayupthereinwhatscalledbhavaorbecoming.Itsnot
aquestionofwhatyouinherentlyare,goodorbad.Verysimply,yourbeing
comesaboutfromwhatyoudo.Thatsthereverseofthewaymostofusthink.
Mostofusthinkthatourbasicnatureisacertainway,andweactincertainways
becauseofourbasicnature.TheBuddhasaysinsteadthatwhatyouareinthe
senseofhowyouidentifyyourselfonasensuallevel,onthelevelofform,oron
aformlesslevelcanbetracedbacktowhatyoudo.Youcanlearntodothings
inamoreskillfulway,whichwillleadtoachangeinyoursenseofwhatyouare,
andthatinturnwillbelessandlesslikelytocausesuffering.
ThisiswhytheBuddhasteachingisatraining,becausethekindofignorance
itsmeanttoovercomeisnotanignoranceofwhatyouare;itssimplyapractical
ignoranceofwhichkindsofactionsworkfortruehappinessandwhichkinds
dont.Thatsthebasicprincipleofthefournobletruths.Eachoftheknowledges
inthefournobletruthsdealswithataskthatyoudevelopasaskill.Thatinand
ofitselfisanotherimportantstatement.Iftheignoranceattherootofthe
problemweresimplyamatterofnotknowingyourtruenature,itwouldbean
allornothingsortofthing.Youdknowitoryouwouldnt.Butskillscanbe
developedgradually.Yoursensitivitydevelops,yourdexterityatshapingthings
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moreskillfully,moreappropriately,developsovertime.Sothepathovercoming
thispracticalignoranceisntasudden,allornothingsortofpath.Itsagradual
path,agradualtraining,ingainingmoreandmoreskill.
Itsinthiswaythattheteachingsofdependentcoarisingaredirectly
connectedtowhatyouredoingrightnow.Yourefocusingonyourbreath.
Youredirectingyourthoughtstothebreathandevaluatingthebreath.Youuse
certainperceptions,andcertainfeelingsgetinvolved.Theseareallelementsin
thefactoroffabrication,whichcomesrightafterignorance.Webreathe
ignorantly.Weperceivethingsthroughignorance.Ourthoughtsaboutthings,
thewayweevaluatethings,andouruseoflanguagegenerallyaredonewith
ignorance.Asaresult,wesuffer.
Butifyoubringknowledgetotheseprocesses,theycanactuallybecomea
healingkindoffabrication.Afterall,thepathisapathoffabrication.The
Buddhadoesnttellyoujusttodropallactivityatonce,tobetotallypassiveor
totallydevoidofanykindofintention.Wehearthatthegoalattheendofthe
pathistobefreefromfabrication,sowethinkwelljuststopfabricatingandthat
shouldgetusthere.Butthemindcantdothat.Thepathdoesntworkthatway.
Theintentiontostopfabricatingisitselfanintention.Youcangetverymuch
attachedtothatkindofpassivityandstillbestuckwithallyourproblems.
Soinsteadwebringmoreandmoreknowledgetotheprocessofbreathing
andhowweuseourthoughtsaroundtheprocessofbreathing.Sometimesyou
hearthatourthinking,whichisbasedalotonlanguage,isthereasonwhywe
suffer,thatwepickedupthesebadsocialinfluencesthattaughtustothinkin
dualistictermsorwhatever,sowevegottodroplanguageentirely.Butagain,
thatsnottheBuddhasapproach.Hesaysthatifyouuselanguageinignorance,
youregoingtosuffer.Buttheproblemisnotwithlanguage;itswiththe
ignorance.
IwastalkingtoaHindumonkawhileback,andhetoldmehisresponseto
someonewhocameuptohimandasked,Howcanwegetbeyondduality?His
responsewas:Whatswrongwithduality?Youretalkingtome,arentyou?
Languageisusefulbecauseitmakesdistinctions.Ifyoucouldntmake
distinctions,howcouldwecommunicate?Whatwouldourlanguagebelike?It
wouldbelikespeakingintonguesataPentecostalChurch:booah!Whoknows
whatitmeans?Itdoesntmeananything,orcouldmeaneverything,whichisa
totallyuselesslanguage.
Themindhastomakedistinctions.Wefeeldistinctions.Wehaveasenseof
rightandwrongnotsimplybecauseweretaughtthembysociety.Itsadeeply
ingrainedhabitthatcomesfromoursensethatsomethingsarepainfulandsome
thingsarenot,andyouvegottodosomethingaboutthethingsthatarepainful.
Thisgoesdeepintooursenseoffeelingandperception,mentalfabricationsthat
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areoftenprelinguistic.Deepdowninside,weknowthatanythingthatthreatens
ourexistenceisbad,anythingthathelpsitisgood.Evenlizardsknowthismuch.
Thatswhyitsembeddedinthelizardbrain,averystrongsenseoflizardgood
andlizardbad.Thehatredofpain,theloveofpleasure,theabilitytoperceivean
enemy,toperceiveanescapefromanenemy:Thesearereallybasictothemind,
muchpriortoanykindofsocialconditioning.Oursocialconditioning,ourmore
refinedusesoflanguage,areactuallyneededtomitigatesomeofthoselizard
fearsandkneejerkjudgments.
Soinsteadofthrowingoutlanguageorthrowingoutoursocialconditioning,
welearnhowtousethemmoreskillfully.Andworkingwiththebreathisan
idealplacetostart.Yougivespacetothemindbybreathinginawaythatfeels
good.Youcanuseyourlinguistichabitstotalktoyourselfaboutthebreath:How
doesthisbreathfeel?Howdoesthatbreathfeel?Wherewoulditfeelgoodto
breatherightnow?Whichpartofthebodyneedsalargerdoseofgoodbreath
energy?Inthiswayyougetmoreandmoreintouchwiththeimmediatefeeling
ofyourbodysothatyourlinguistichabitscanshowimmediatebenefits.Itfeels
goodtobreathethisway.Itfeelsgoodtobreathethatway.Yourmindandyour
bodyaregettingmoreintimatesothatallthelevelsoffabricationphysical,
verbal,andmentalstartworkingtogetheraroundacommonsenseof
wellbeing.
Inthiswaytheygettocommunicatewithoneanother.Theprocessof
focusingonthebreathinaskillfulwayisreallyahealingprocess.Eachtimeyou
sitdowntomeditate,dontthinkofitasachore.Thinkofitasanopportunityto
dosomemorehealingwork.Anddontthinkofitasatimewhenyoureobliged
tostopthinking.Inthebeginning,youhavetousedirectedthoughtand
evaluationtogetthingstosettledown,toadjustthings,togeteverybody
together.Andwheneveryoneistogetherlikethis,interestingthingscomeup.
Hiddenfeelings,hiddenperceptionssuddenlyshowthemselves.Andyoucan
workthroughthem.
Itsalmostlikedealingwithapersonwhospossessed.Thepossessedperson
fromthepointofviewofWesternpsychologyisaschizophrenic:Therearetwo
differentpersonalitiesintheoneperson.Fromamoretraditionalperspective,
therereallyaretwodifferentpeopleinthere.Theproblemisthattheyrenot
cooperating.Theyreworkingatcrosspurposes.Iftheycanlearntocooperate,
theresnoproblem.Whocareswhethertherearetwoortwentypeopleinthere?
Iftheygetalong,theproblemisgone.ThatshowAjaanFuangapproachedcases
ofspiritpossession.Insteadofdrivingoutthespirit,hednegotiatewithit,so
thatitwouldstopinterferinginthepossessedpersonslife.
Wehavethesamesortofproblemeventhoughwemayseemnormal.Our
directedthoughtsandevaluationstendtoworkatcrosspurposes.Thewaywe
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feelandourdifferentperceptionscanberunningoffineverydirectionatonce.
Thisiswhywehavetomeditate.Toworkwiththebreathistocreateaspace
whereallthedifferentpartsofthemindallthedifferentmembersofthe
committee,allthedifferentlevelsofsensationandactivitygoingonlearnhow
tobewithoneanotherinapeacefulspot,workingonacommongoal.Youre
showinggoodwillforoneanotherbecauseyourecooperating.Inthatway,
interestingthingscomeupandyoucandealwiththem.Youcanlearnnew
habitsinhowyourelatetoyourbody,newhabitsinhowyouthink,howyou
frameanissueinthemind,andhowyouworkthroughthedifficultiesin
whateverissuesyouencounter.Whenyoulearnhowtodealwithallthepartsof
yourselfinahealthywaylikethis,itsaloteasierthentostartdealingina
healthywaywithotherpeople,too.
Sothebreathmeditationnotonlyhelpsyou.Italsohelpseverybodyelseyou
livewith,becauseitgivesyouparadigms.Foronething,itgivesyouimmediate
traininginhowtoemploythebrahmaviharas,thesublimeattitudesoflimitless
goodwill,limitlesscompassion,limitlessempatheticjoy,limitlessequanimity.In
otherwords,youstartoutwithgoodwillforyourself,allowingyourselfto
breatheinacomfortableway.Whenyouseethatyourbreathingis
uncomfortable,orthatthewayyouthinkiscausingdiseaseinthebodyorthe
mind,youhavecompassionforyourself:Letstrytofigureoutabetterwayto
dothis.Whenitsgoingwell,youdontstartfeedingontheideathatyourenot
worthyofthis,orthatyoureallyshouldntallowyourselftofeelthisgood.You
trytomaintainthatsenseofwellbeing.Appreciateit.Lettheideasofdeserving
andnotdeservingjustgobytheboards.Again,thoseattitudesareusuallybased
onanideaofwhatyouaredeepdowninside,thatyourethesortofpersonwho
deservestobepunishedforthingsyoudidinthepast.Thatsnothowthe
Buddhasteachingswork.Differentactionswillinevitablyleadtodifferent
results.Theresnoquestionofanyonedeservingtosuffer.Soifyoureableto
maintainasenseofwellbeing,keepatit.Ifyoureoperatingfromastablesense
ofwellbeing,youregoingtostartactinginmoreskillfulwaysallaround.
Andthentheresequanimityforthethingsthatyoucantchange,thebad
habitsyouarentabletofullyeradicate,ortheproblemsthatcomeinfrompast
kammathatyoucantalter.Thepurposeofequanimityistokeepyoufocusedon
thethingsyoucanchange,sothatyoudontwasteenergyfocusingonthethings
youcant.
Inthisway,asthemembersofyourcommitteeworktogetheronthebreathin
askillfulway,youregainingsometraininginwhatareessentiallysocialvirtues,
thebrahmaviharas.Thenyoucanapplythesamelessonstoyourdealingswith
peoplearoundyou.
167
Soinsteadofbeingaprocessoflobotomizingthemindsothatyoudont
think,meditationisactuallytraininginlearninghowtothinkinmoreskillful
ways,howtoactinmoreskillfulwayswithknowledge,withanunderstanding
ofactionsandtheirresults.Inparticular,itstraininginlearninghowto
distinguishthetypesofactivitiesinthemindthatwouldcauseaparticular
situationtoproducesufferingornot.
Inthecourseofthistraining,thequestionofwhoyouaregetsputaside.The
questionofwhoyouvebeengetsputaside.Youcanfocuspurelyonwhatyoure
doing,whatyoucandototrainyourselftobemoresensitiveandmoreeffective
inbringingaboutanendtosuffering,andwhatyoucandotomasteractivities
thatleadmoreandmoretotruehappiness.Afterall,theissueisnotwhatyou
are,itswhatyoudo.Andifwhatyoudoisnotskillful,youcanlearntomakeit
moreskillfulwitheachinandoutbreath.
Thosearesomeofthelessonsthatyoucanderivefromwhatseemslikea
veryabstractteachingondependentcoarising.Itisabstract.Itsputoutasalist
anditsaveryconvolutedone.AstheBuddhahimselfadmitted,itsnotsimple.
Itslikeatangledbirdsnest,hesaid,oraknottedballofstring.Butyoucanpull
onafewstrands,pulloutafewofthetwigs,andyoufindthateventhe
individualstrandsandtwigsarereallyhelpfulinputtinganendtosuffering,
teachingyouhowtothinkandactandevenbreatheinwaysthatcanbring
sufferingtoanend.
168

TheRegularityoftheDhamma

May22,2006

Theresaschoolofthoughtthatsayseachpresentmomentissonewandso
unpredictablethatyoushouldntbringanypreconceivednotionsfromthepast
toapplytoit.Anyconditionsyoupickupfromthepastobscurethefreshnessof
thepresentmoment,soyourdutyasameditatoristobetotallypresentinan
unmediatedwaytotherawdataofthesenses.Byallowingyourselftobefully
immersedintherawdataofthepresentmoment,youllinstinctivelyknowthe
properresponse.Therearenorules.Allbetsareoffastowhatsgoingtobethe
appropriateresponsetoanyparticularmoment,anyparticularsituation.
Thatschoolofthoughtleavesyouprettyhighanddrywhenthingsget
difficult.Itthrowsyouintothepresentmomentwithnolifesaveratall.
Fortunately,thatsnothowtheBuddhataught.TheBuddhasaidthattheresa
regularitytothewaythingshappen.Thatshowhedescribesdependentco
arising:thisregularityoftheDhamma.Hedoesntsaythateverythingis
predeterminedfromthepast,orthatbyknowingthepastyoullbeableto
predictwhatsgoingtohappeninthepresentoronintothefuture.Hesimply
saysthattheresaregularitytothewaythingsareshapedinyourexperience,
andcertainthingstendtobetheshapingfactors.
Inoneanalysisofdependentcoarising,hedescribesthesefactorsasname
andformontheonehand,andconsciousnessontheother.Thesetwoinfluence
eachother.Formistheformofthebody.Forexample,youresittinghereright
nowwiththeformofthebody,yoursenseofthebody,howitfeelsfromwithin.
Thatsenseofformismadeupofsolidity,warmth,liquidsensations,andenergy:
thefourelementsorfourproperties.Asforname,itincludesfeeling,perception,
attention,intention,andcontact.Consciousness,hesays,landsonthesefactorsof
nameandform,andthenthingsproliferateoutofthat.
Undertheheadingofname,thetwomostimportantfactorsareintentionand
attention.Otherwaysofdescribingdependentcoarisingdrawoutthis
importance.Sometimes,priortonameandform,theylistfabrication,sankhara,
whichistheintentionalelementinexperiencewhetherphysical,verbal,or
mental.Physicalorbodilyfabricationisthebreath,theintentionalelementin
howyousensethebreath,howyoucreatetheexperienceofthebreath.Verbal
fabricationisdirectedthoughtandevaluation,whichincludesanintentional
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element.Mentalfabricationisfeelingandperception.Theresanintentional
elementthereaswell.Sotheintentioniswhatsimportant,anditplaysitselfout
infeeling,perception,andform.
Priortofabricationcomesignorance.Ignorancemeansnotseeingthingsin
termsofthefournobletruthsinotherwords,applyinginappropriateattention.
Whenyoulookatthingsinaninappropriateway,youframeissuesinan
inappropriateway,whichmeansthatyourfabricationsaregoingtoleadto
suffering.Alltheotherelementsofnameandformandconsciousnesswilltend
towardsufferingandstressaswell.Butyoucanchangethatwayofattendingto
things.Youcanlookatthingsintermsofthefournobletruths:Whereisthe
stress,whatareyoudoingtocauseit,whereistherefreedomfromstress,and
whatkindofactionsleadtothatfreedom?Whenyoulookintheseterms,then
thefabricationsofyourintentionsgoinadifferentdirection;nameandformand
consciousness,alltheotherfactorsofyourexperience,goinadifferentdirection:
towardtheendofsuffering.ThisistheregularityoftheDhamma.
Wetendtothinkofdependentcoarisingasanextremelycomplexandabstruse
teaching,andastheBuddhapointedoutitiscomplex;itsnoteasy.Still,itdoes
giveusguidanceinhowtoapproacheachpresentmoment,wheretolook,howto
look.Oneoftheinterestingthingsaboutdependentcoarisingisthatallthese
factorscomepriortosensorycontact.Evenbeforeyouseesights,listentosounds,
andsoforth,theresanintentionalelementalreadyinplay.Youhaveanagenda:
whatyourelookingfor,howyouregoingtolookatthings.Youbringthattoeach
presentmoment.Soitsimportanttobringtherightwayofframingissues,
framingquestions,toeverythingyousense.Rememberthisasyoupractice.These
aretheimportantelements:intentionandattention.Everythingelsespringsfrom
there.
Whenthingscomeupinthepresentmoment,howdoyoulookatthem?Try
tolookatthemsimplyintermsofstressandlackofstress.Whichintentionsand
waysofattendingtothingsleadtostress;whichonesbringittoanend?Tryto
putasideanyideasofyourselforwhatliesoutsideofyourself.Putaside
questionsofwhatliesbehindallofthis.Justlookatthingsastheyredirectly
experiencedasstress.Thisisamodeofperceptionthatsimportanttodevelop.
TheBuddhacallsthismodeemptiness:seeingwhatspresentorwhatsnot
presentparticularly,presentornotpresentintermsofstressordisturbance.
Thatswherethebigissuelies,andyourdutiesasameditatorcomefromlooking
atthesethingsinthisway.Ifyouseestress,youtrytocomprehendit.Todothat,
youneedtodevelopcertainqualitiesofmind:Thatsthepath.Youneedtoput
themindinapositionwhereitreallycanlookatstresscomingandgoing,and
notfeelthreatenedbyit,especiallywhenthestressisreallypainful,really
burdensome.
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Ournormalreactionwhenwefeelstressandstrainistosay,Thisis
happeningtome.Andwhensomethingbadhappenstoyou,theresadifferent
setofimperatives.Theimperativeistogetridofit,togetitoutoftherangeof
whatyouidentifyasme.Butifyoucanpulloutofthatsenseofme
surroundingyourexperienceandsimplylookatthestresshappeningrighthere,
rightnowfromapositionofwellbeing,thewellbeingthatcomesfromright
concentrationthentheimperativesaredifferent.Theimperativeisto
understandthestress,toseewhatscausingit,andthentoabandonthecause.
Thisiswhywepracticerightconcentration:toputthemindinagood
positiontoseethingsclearlyandcarryoutitsappropriateduties.Actually,when
themindisinrightconcentrationyourestandingwheretheBuddhastoodwhen
hediscoveredallofthesethings.Itsfromthispointofviewthatyoucansee:
Thisistheintention;thisistheactofattention;thisisthestress;thisisthecause
ofstress.Youcanseethemclearlybecauseyourelookingatthemfromthe
rightspot.
YearsbackIwentonacampingtriptoPowellPoint,whichisthesoutherntip
ofaplateauinUtah,over10,000feetinelevation.Theguidebooksaidthatyou
couldseeagoodthirdofsouthernUtahfromthatspot.Wethoughtwewere
followingtherightdirections,butwemadeawrongturnandendedupinan
outlookoverHendersonCanyon.Still,wethoughtwewereatPowellPoint.The
booksaidtheroadwouldendandthenfromthereyouhadtowalkoutona
point.Well,wefoundapointthatwecouldwalkoutto.Fromthere,thebook
said,youcouldlookoutandseethis,that,andtheotherthing.Soweidentified
thesights:Thiswasthis,thatwasthat,andthiswastheotherthing.Butthen
therewasahugeplateauloominguptooureast,whichwasntmentionedinthe
bookatall.OnlyafteragoodwhiledidwerealizethatthatwasPowellPoint.We
hadmadeawrongturn.Wewerestandingsomewhereelse.So,thenextdaywe
madeourwayuptoPowellPoint,andthenwesawwhattheguidebookwas
actuallyreferringto.Werealizedthatthethis,that,andtheotherthingwerenot
thethis,that,andtheotherthingwethoughtwesawyesterday.Wehadlabeled
thingswrongbecausewewerestandinginthewrongplace.
IfyouwanttounderstandwhattheBuddhaistalkingabout,youhavetoput
yourselfhere,rightatthepresentmoment,wherethemindisimmersedinthe
form,thebreathenergy,ofthebody.ThatswheretheBuddhastood.Iftheres
goingtobeanydirectedthoughtandevaluation,relateittothebreath.Any
feelingsandperceptionswillbethefeelingsandperceptionsofamindreally
focusedonthebreath.Asthemindgetsmoreandmorestill,thosefabrications
fallaway.Directedthoughtsandevaluationsfallaway.Themovementofthe
breathfallsaway.Allyouhaveisastillbreathenergyfillingthebody,aclear,
brightawarenessfillingthebody.ThatsPowellPoint.Fromthereyoucansee
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theHenryMountains,youcanseetheEscalanteregion,youcanseeBryce
Canyon,thewaytheyredescribedinthebook.
Inotherwords,fromthispointyoucanseestress,andyoureinaposition
whereyoucanreallycomprehenditbecauseyoudontfeelsothreatenedbyit.
Yourenotcompelledbyyouroldimperative,whichwastogetridofit.You
attendtothingsintherightway.Youseethingssimplyintermsofstress,its
cause,thepathleadingtoitsending,anditsending.Thisistheframework
youresupposedtobringtoeachpresentmoment.Inotherwords,youseethings
intermsofthefournobletruths,andyourintentionistoperformtheduties
appropriatetoeach.Whenyoudevelopthatintention,itsboundtoleadyouto
theendofallsufferingandstress.
SothisistheregularityoftheDhamma.Youmaynotbeabletobringpurely
appropriateattentiontoeverymomentofyourlife,butyoucangetusedto
lookingateachmomentintermsofidentifyingyourintentionandexamining
howyouframetheeventsofyourlife.Dothenarrativesgetinthewayofyour
seeingthingsintermsofskillfulandunskillfulintentions?Ordotheyactually
help?Youshouldapproacheachsituationwiththesethoughtsinmind:Whereis
thestresshere?Whatcanyoudotoatleastminimizethestress,theharm,the
disturbance,whateverisaburdenforyouorthepeoplearoundyou?Thisway
youcometoeachpresentmomentarmedwithaknowledgeoftheregularityof
theDhamma:whereyoushouldfocusyourattention,andwhatthemainpriority
shouldbewhichistokeeponthepath.
InthiswaytheBuddhadoesntleaveyouhighanddry,fornomatterwhat
thesituation,thisishowtolookatit:intermsofthefournobletruths.Your
intentionshouldbetotrytocomprehendthesuffering,thestress,whereverit
maybeinthatmoment,andtodevelopthefactorsthatwillenableyouto
comprehendsuffering.Youmayhaveotherissuesforexample,whenyoure
dealingwithpeople,itsverydifferentfromsittingherewithyoureyesclosed
butyourbasicframeworkcanbethesame.Onceyouvegotthisframework
firmlyinmind,youcangowhereveryouwantanddealwithanysituationthat
confrontsyou,becauseyoureworkingfromaframeworkthatinsteadofleading
tomoresufferingandstress,actuallyhelpsbringthemtoanend.Andthatway,
whateverthesituation,youreonthepath.
Theabilitytokeepallthisinmindismindfulness.That,combinedwith
appropriateattentionandtherightintention,iswhatturnseachmomentintoa
momentofthepractice,regardlessofthesituation.
Sothisishowthecomplexityofdependentcoarisinggivesyoutoolsforthe
presentmoment,toolsthatyoucanuseforthesakeofyourownwellbeingand
thewellbeingofallthepeoplearoundyou.Eachmomentmaybenew,butit
followsapattern.Alwayskeepthatpatterninmind.
172

ThePathofMistakes

March26,2007

AnessentialaspectofBuddhistpracticeisthatwehavetolearnhowtomake
useofthingswelleventuallyhavetolearnhowtoletgoof.Weknowthatat
somepointthepracticeinvolveslettinggoofdesire.Butweneedtocultivate
skillfuldesiretogettothatpoint.Ultimatelythepracticeleadstothetotalendof
fabrication,butthenobleeightfoldpathisatypeoffabrication.AstheBuddha
oncesaid,itstheultimateleveloffabrication.Infactwhenyoulookatthe
factorsofthepathyourealizethattheyremadeupoftheaggregates:form,
feeling,perception,fabrication,consciousness.
Theseallhavetoplayaroleinthepath,whichmeanswehavetolearnhow
tochangeourattitudetowardtheaggregates.Insteadofjustclingingtothemas
usorours,welearnhowtousethemaselementsinthepath.Theimportant
pointhereistorealizethatthesethingshavetobeusedinaskillfulway.
Whenyoucometothepath,itsusefultoreflectonskillsyouvedevelopedin
thepastasanartist,acook,acarpenter,oramusician.Whateverskillsyouve
workedoninthepast,itsgoodtoreflectonhowyoubecameskillful,and
particularlyhowyoulearnedhowtodealwithmistakes.
Learningfromyourmistakesisessentialtodevelopinganykindofskill.Its
expectedthatyouregoingtomakemistakes.Theteachertriestohelpyouavoid
thereallyunnecessaryonesbypointingthemoutinadvance.Inotherwords,
somemistakesaremoreavoidablethanothers.Butalargepartofthepractice
liesinlearninghowtolearnfromyourmistakesandnotgetknockedoffcourse
bythem.
Weallliketohearthattheresastageinthepracticewhenyoufinallyattaina
certainlevelofawareness,acertainlevelofinsight,anditsguaranteedthatfrom
thatpointonnothingyoumightdowouldbeamistake.Youmayhaveheard
aboutthechoicelessnessofthepath:Youfinallygetonthepathandrealize
thattheresonlyonethingtodo.Ifyoujustdowhatthepathtellsyoutodo,or
whatseemsrightatanyonetime,youreguaranteedthattherewillbeno
mistakes.Butthatsnotthewayitworks.Evenarahantsmakemistakes.Their
virtuesintermsofthebasicsofavirtuouslifethefivepreceptsare
unshakeable.Theydontmakethosemistakesanymore,butsimplemistakesin
sayingthewrongthingtothewrongperson:Thatshuman.Ithasnothingtodo
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withdefilementsofthemind.Itssimplythefactthatwerehumanbeingswith
limitations.
Whatsdifferentaboutarahantsisthattheycontinuetolearnfromtheir
mistakes.Theydontgetknockedoffcoursebythembecausetheyhaveno
conceitthatsgoingtobechallengedbythemistake,destroyedbythemistake,or
feelthreatenedbythemistake.Butforthoseofusonthepath,thatsanissuewe
stillhavetodealwith:thisissueofconceit,ournarcissism.Wedontlikethe
thoughtofhavingtomakemistakes,buttheresnootherwayweregoingto
learn.ThisiswhytheBuddhagivessomanyinstructionsonhowtolearnfrom
yourmistakes,howtodealwithamistakesothatitactuallybecomesan
importantelementinthepath.TherearetheinstructionstoRahula:Whenyou
realizeyouvedonesomethingthatsbeenharmful,youresolvenottorepeatit.
Youalsogotalkitoverwithotherpeoplewhoareonthepathtoseewhatinsight
youcangainfromthem.Inotherwords,youadmitthemistake,youlearnhow
torecognizeit,andthatinvolvesdevelopingacertainamountofperceptiveness
rightthere.
Andasforlearningfromthecounselofothers:Wesometimesassumethat
theBuddhasinstructionstotheKalamastellyoutogobyyourownsenseof
rightandwrong.Butinfact,ifyoulookcarefullyathiswords,yourealizethat
thisassumptionhasnothingtodowithwhattheBuddhaactuallysaid.Hesaid
thatyoucantgototallyontheinstructionsofothers,butyoucantgoonyour
ownpreconceivedideasaboutwhatsrightandwrong,either.Youhavetolook
atwhatyouredoing,alongwiththeresultsofwhatyouredoingandwhat
youvedone.Thenlearntorecognizewhenyouvecausedharmandwhenyou
havent.
Atthesametime,youtakeintoconsiderationthecounselofthewise.That,of
course,requiresyoutolearnhowtorecognizewhoswiseandwhosnot.Soin
onewayitdoesthrowthewholeissuebackonyou,butitsnotthatyouhaveto
totallyreinventtheDhammawheelasyoupractice.Thereisguidance,andwhen
youlearnhowtomakethebestuseofguidance,itgivesyouquitealegup.
TheresanotherpassagewhereastudentoftheJainscomestotheBuddha.
TheJainswereteachingthatwhoeverkills,steals,hasillicitsex,tellslies,ortakes
intoxicantsisgoingtogotohell.ThispersonwantedtoknowwhattheBuddha
hadtosayaboutthat,andtheBuddharepliedthatifyouhearthatteachingand
yourealizeyouvedonethesethingsinthepast,thatprettymuchconsignsyou
tohellrightthere;itmakesthingshopeless.
ThisiswhytheBuddhataughtinadifferentway.Hetaughtthatthese
activitiesareunwise.Theyshouldbeavoidedbecausetheycauseharm.Youlook
atwhatyouvedoneandyourealizeyouvemademistakeslikethis.Sowhats
theproperattitudetodeveloptowardthosemistakes?Itstoresolvenottodo
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themagain.Atthesametime,yourealizethatifyouletyourselfgettiedupin
remorseaboutyourpastmistakes,itsnotgoingtoundotheoldmistakeandits
goingtomakeitlesslikelythatyouregoingtodowellinthefuturebecause
remorsesapsyourstrength.Theproperattitudeistolearnhowtorecognizea
mistakeandsimplyresolve,Imnotgoingtorepeatit.
Thenextstepistodevelopthesublimeattitudes:limitlessgoodwill,limitless
compassion,limitlessempatheticjoy,limitlessequanimity.Learnhowto
cultivatetheseemotions,becausetheyhelpkeepyouontherighttrack,
strengthenyourresolvenottobeharmful,andalsoteachyouwhereyour
limitationsare:whatyoucando,whatyoucantdointermsofcorrectingthe
situationwithinyourselfandtheworldaroundyou.
Again,theseattitudes,too,arefabrications.Itsnotthatournatureisinnately
kindorinnatelybad.Theseattitudesarethingsyouhavetolearnhowto
cultivate.Theyrefabrications.Sowhathappenswhenyoucomeupagainstsome
illwillinsideyou,someresentment,oraninabilitytoacceptthesituationasitis?
Whenyoulookatthatemotion,yourealizeitscomposedofallthedifferent
elementsoffabrication.Theresthewayyoubreathe.Therearethedirected
thoughts:thewayyoudirectyourthinkingaroundthattopic.Therestheway
youevaluatewhatshappening,andtherearealsoyourfeelingsandperceptions
aboutwhatshappening.Thesearealltheelementsoffabricationthatgointoany
thought,anyemotion.
So,tobeginwith,youwanttolearnhowtotakeyourunskillfulemotions
apart.Whenyoufindyourselfthinkinginanunskillfulway,whenanunskillful
emotioncomesupwithregardeithertoyourselforsomebodyelse,askyourself,
Whatkindofbreathingisgoingonhere?Howdoesthebreathingaffectthat
emotion?WhatifIweretomakethebreathmoreskillfulmakingitsmooth,
makingitfull,makingitrestful:Willthathelpgetthebodyoutofthegripofthe
emotion?
Thenlookathowyourethinkingabouttheissue.Istheresomewayyou
couldchangeyourthoughtsabouttheissue?Lookatitfromadifferent
perspective.AlotoftheBuddhasteachings,say,onanger,arejustthat.Lookat
thesituationfromanotherangle.Lookatthegoodinthepeoplewhomakeyou
angry.Afterall,youneedtheirgoodasmuchastheydo.Ifallyoucanseeare
thebadtraitsofotherpeople,itslikebeinginadesert:Yourehot,tired,
trembling,thirsty,andthegoodnessofotherpeopleislikewater.Yourenotin
someOlympianpositionwhereyoucanlookdownonthehumanraceandsay,
Well,theyrebad,andthesepeoplearebad,andthosepeoplearebad,andit
doesntaffectyouatall.Itdoesaffectyoutobeconstantlyfocusingonother
peoplesbadhabits.ItslikethatNewYorkercartoonofthetwofemalepoodles
sittingatabarwithgrim,sneeringlooksontheirfaces,saying,Theyreallsons
175
ofbitches.Wheneveryoneisasonofabitch,whatdoesthatmakeyou?Sotry
tothinkaboutthesituationinawaythathelpsyourealizethatyouneedthe
wateroftheirgoodness.Thiswatersthegoodnessofyourownheart,thischange
intheelementofperceptionalongwithdirectedthoughtandevaluation.
Asforthefeelingsthatcomeup,learnnottoidentifywiththem.Justwatch
them:Okay,thesefeelingsareresultsofactions.They,inandofthemselves,are
notskillfulorunskillful,butthewayyouperceivethemandthethoughtsyou
buildaroundthemthosecanbeskillfulandunskillful.Solearnhowtostep
back.
Inthiswayyouuseyourunderstandingoffabricationtodeconstruct
unskillfulemotions,unskillfulmindstates,andthentodevelopskillfulemotions
andskillfulmindstatesintheirplace.Wedontusuallyliketheideaof
constructinganemotion,orfabricatinganemotion:Itseemstooartificial.Butwe
doitallthetime.Itssimplythatwerenotconsciousofit.
Soasyouremeditating,whatareyoudoing?Youreworkingwiththe
breath.Thatsoneformoffabrication.Trytomakethebreathcomfortable.When
theresasenseoftensionanywhereinthebody,learnhowtobreathearoundit,
orbreathethroughit,torelieveasmuchofthetensionasyoucanwithouttotally
losingfocus.Youdirectyourthoughtstothebreath.Youevaluatethebreath:
Whatkindofbreathingfeelsgoodrightnow?Thisisanimportantpartofthe
practicebecauseitteachesyouhowtodevelopyourpowersofobservationona
subtlelevel.Yourelearningtorecognizeyouractionsandtheirresults.Youre
learninghowtoreadthoseactions,readthoseresults.Andiftheresultsarent
whatyouwant,youcanthinkofwaysofimprovingthem.Thatallcomesunder
evaluation.
Thentherearefeelings.Youtrytoworkwiththebreathinsuchawayasto
developfeelingsofeaseandfullness.Therearealsoperceptions.Howdoyou
perceiveyourbreath?Whatmentalpicturedoyouhaveofthebreath?Howdoes
thatmentalpictureaffectthewayyouactuallybreathe?Canyouthinkofthe
breathasanenergyfieldinthebody,thatyourwholeawarenessofthebody
rightnowisallbreath,differentlevelsofbreathenergy?Ifyouapplythat
perception,holdthatlabelinmind,andexplorethewayyoufeelthebodyfrom
theinside,whatdoesitdo?Youcanthinkofthebodyasabigspongelotsof
holesforthebreathtocomeinandoutfromalldirections.Thebreathcomesin
andgoesoutwithoutanysenseofblockage,noproblematall.Ifyouperceivedit
thatway,whatimpactwouldithaveonhowyouactuallyexperiencethebreath?
Inotherwords,youlearntotaketheseaspectsoffabricationandusethemto
youradvantage.
176
Andofcourseyouregoingtomakemistakes,butyoucanlearnfromthem
bylearninghowtonoticethingsonyourown,knowinghowtoseekadvicefrom
otherpeople,learninghowtoapplytheiradviceinaskillfulway.
So,ontheonehand,theBuddhagivesyoualotofinstructionsonhowto
avoidmistakes,buthealsoisveryopentothefactthatwerestillgoingtomake
mistakesononeleveloranother.Insteadofforbiddingyoufrommaking
mistakes,hegivesyouadvice:Whenyoumakeamistake,thisishowyouhandle
it;thisishowyoulearnfromitsoyoucanbecomemoreskillful.
Thisishowtheprocessoffabricationcantakeyoutothethresholdwhere
therestheunfabricated.Youdevelopyourtools,and,aswithanyart,yourenot
developingthetoolsbecauseyouwanttotakethetoolswithyou.Say,for
instance,youhavesomepaintbrushes.Yourenotpaintingforthesakeofpaint
brushes;youusethepaintbrushesforthesakeoftheart.Andasyoumasterthe
useofthosepaintbrushes,therecomesapointwhereyouvefinishedyour
artworkandyouputthebrushesaside.
Itsthesamewiththepath:Youworkondevelopingtheseelementsofthe
path.Learnhowtonoticewhenyouvedoneitwellandwhenyouhavent.In
thatwayyoudevelopyourskill.
Thisskill,though,isspecial.Ittakesyoutothethresholdoftheunfabricated.
Butyoucantusetheunfabricatedtogettotheunfabricated.Itcantbeusedasa
causeatall,foritliestotallyoutsideoftherealmofcausality.Butyoucanget
therethroughcausality,throughlearningfabricationasyoulearntofabricate
statesofmindmoreandmoreskillfully.
Sodontbeafraidofmistakes.Trytoavoidthemasmuchasyoucan,but
dontbeafraidoftheideathattherewillbemistakesdowntheline.AsAjaan
Fuangoncesaid,Nomatterwhathappensinthemeditation,theresalwaysa
cureforitifyoudeveloptherightattitude.Sotheconceitthatsays,Idont
wanttomakeanymistakes,andsimplywantingtowillyourwaytoamistake
freelifewithoutdoinganything:Thatyouvegottoputaside.Thenarcissismof
notwantinganyonetobeabletocriticizeyou:Thatyouvegottoputaside.As
theBuddhaoncesaid,Ifsomeonepointsoutyourfaults,regardthatpersonas
someonewhospointedouttreasure.
Solearntolivewiththefactthat,yes,weallmakemistakes.Evenarahants
makesomemistakes.Butamistakeisnottheendoftheworld.Itsastart.Itsa
treasureinthatitsyouropportunitytolearn.
177

ExperimentalIntelligence

August7,2007

Oneofthemostimportantprinciplesinmeditatingonthebreathislearning
howtoexperimentwithit.Trydifferentkindsofbreathingtoseewhichrhythm,
whichtextureofbreathingfeelsbestforthebodyrightnow,andwhichisalso
bestforthemind.Somewaysofbreathingcanputyoutosleep,otherwaysof
breathinggetyouirritated,soyouwanttocheckandseewhatkindofbreathing
isgoingtomakeiteasiestforthemindtosettledowninastateofmindful
alertnessandwanttostaythere.Ifthebodyisuncomfortablebecauseoftheway
youbreathe,yourenottakingadvantageofthefactthatthebreathcanmakeit
comfortable.
IknowalotofpeoplewhoaresurprisedbythisaspectofAjaanLees
instructionsforbreathmeditation.Theycometomeditationwiththeideathat
youresupposedtoletthingssimplyhappenontheirownandnotdoanything
tothemthatyoujustwatchthebreathhoweveritcomesin,howeveritgoes
out.ButeventheBuddhasinstructionsonbreathmeditationfrequentlystate
thatyoutrainyourselftodothingsinacertainway.Youtrainyourselftobe
awareofthewholebodyasyoubreathein,awareofthewholebodyasyou
breathout.Youtrainyourselfsothatthebreathcalmsdown,givingrisetothe
nextsteps,whereyoucantrainyourselftobreatheinwithasenseofease,witha
senseofrapture.Andthenyoucancalmthosefeelings.
Theresanelementofwillinallthis,anelementoffabricationinwhichyou
intentionallycausethingstohappen.Thatsimportantfornotonlygettingthe
mindtosettledownwithasenseofease,butalsofordevelopinginsight
becauseinsightcomesdowntoamatterofseeingcauseandeffect.
IthinkitwasAristotlewhodefinedintelligenceastheabilitytosee
connections.WhenyoudoX,Yhappens.WhenyoudoZ,Whappens.The
abilitytoseethatonyourownisasignofintelligence,andthatsortof
intelligencecanbedevelopedbylearningtolookforcausesandeffects.Thisis
howyoudoit:Youchangecertainthingsandseewherethechangehasan
impact.Youchangeotherthingsandseewherethathasanimpact.IfchangingX
causesYtochangeeverytime,youknowthatXisaconditionforY.
ThisprinciplepermeatesalloftheBuddhasteachings.Everythingischecked
bytheresultsitgives.WhentheBuddhawasteachinghisauntthebasic
178
principlesoftheDhamma,itcamedowntothis:Whenyouadoptaparticular
teaching,whateffectdoesithave?Doesitgiverisetopassion?Tobeingfettered?
Toaccumulating,toselfaggrandizement,todiscontent,toentanglement,to
laziness,tobeingburdensome?Thenthatsawrongteaching.Doesitgiveriseto
theoppositequalities,suchasdispassion,modesty,andnotbeingfettered?
Okay,thatsarightteaching.ThatshowyouknowwhatsDhammaandwhats
not.YoutakealltheDhammayouhearandyoutestitintermsofcauseand
effect.Youdonttakeanythingforgrantedjustbecauseyouveheardthatitsso.
SometimeswehearthatthebasicBuddhistinsightisintothethree
characteristicsinconstancy,stress,notselfwhichdoesntseemtoinvolve
manyconnectionsbetweencauseandeffect.Buthereyouhavetoremembertwo
things.One,theBuddhanevertalkedaboutthreecharacteristics.Thephrase
threecharacteristicsdoesntappearinhisteachings.Thatwassomething
addedlaterinthecommentaries.Hetaughtthesethreethemesinconstancy,
stress,notselfasperceptionsandcontemplations,aslabelsyouapplyto
things,andaspectsyoulookforinyourexperienceofthings.
Buttheresalargercontextforlookingforthesethings,orlearningtosee
thingsinlightofthem.Thelargercontextisformedbythefournobletruths:the
factthatthereissuffering,thattheresacauseforsuffering,thatsufferingcan
cease,andthattheresapathofpracticeleadingtoitscessation.Thesetruthsin
turnrelatetoamorebasicissue:thatthewholepurposeoftheBuddhas
teachingsisforthesakeoffindingtruehappiness.Andhebringsboththeheart
andtheheadtogetheronthisproject.
Theheartsbasicdesireisforhappinesswiththeleastamountofeffort,
whereastheheadisthepartthatrecognizesthattherearecausesandeffects,and
thatifyouwanttogetanywhere,youhavetolearnthispatternandworkwithin
it.InfollowingtheBuddhasteachings,thesetwosidesofyourawareness,heart
andhead,havetolearntoworktogether.Thehearthastolearnrespectforthe
factthatifyouwanttruehappiness,itsgoingtorequiresomework.Youllhave
togetthecausesright.Atthesametime,theheadhastorecognizethattrue
happinessisaworthwhilegoal.Youdontjustthinkaboutthingsandanalyze
themjustforthesakeofspinningoutideasandshowingyouresmart.Youwant
tounderstandcauseandeffectsothatyoucanfindtruehappiness.Andasthe
Buddhatracesoutthecausesofsuffering,oneofthebigcausesisclinging.So
onewayoflearninghowtoletgoofclingingistoseethingsinlightofthose
threeperceptionsofinconstancy,stress,andnotself.Youdontstopwithjust
seeingthingsintermsofthoseperceptions.Atthesametime,youhavetolearn
therighttimeandplacetoapplythem:whentheyactuallyservethepurposeof
leadingtoagreaterhappiness.
179
Alltheteachingshavetheirtimeandplace.Youhavetoseeeachteachingin
thelargerstructureofthispursuitofhappiness,andtrytoapplyitinan
intelligentway.Alargepartofthismeansthatyouhavetobeheedful.Youcant
justassumethatanythingthatcomespoppingupinyourmind,oranyideathat
youhave,isgoingtoleadtotruehappiness.Youcantassumethatanyteaching
youreceivefromanybodyisgoingtoleadtotruehappiness,orthatyoucan
applyitwillynillytoeverythingthatcomesup.Youhavetotestthingstolearn
whenandhowtheywork.
SoacentralpartoftheBuddhasteachingconsistsofinstructionsinthebest
waytotestthings.Youstartoutbygettingthemindtobestill.Getitintostrong
statesofconcentrationwhereeverythingisvery,verystill,sothatyoucan
observe,whenathoughtcomesintothemind,whatitdoestothemind;orwhen
youdoanaction,whatitdoestothemind.Ifthingsarentreallystill,youcant
seetheimpactofathought,theimpactofanactionveryclearly.Itsliketryingto
listentoaverysoftpieceofmusiconthestereoatthesametimethatyouvegot
alawnmoweroutside,ortrucksdrivingupanddowntheroad.Thebackground
noiseissoloudthatitobscuresthesubtletiesyouretryingtohear.Thesame
waywiththemind:Unlessyoucangetthemindreally,reallystill,youcant
reallywatchtheeffectsofyouractions,theeffectsofyourwords,theeffectsof
yourthoughts.Manyactionsmayseemperfectlyharmlessinanordinarystateof
mind,butwhenthemindgetsreally,reallystill,youbegintoseethatthey
actuallyhaveanadverseimpactonthemind.
Sothisiswhyweworkatbringingthemindtoconcentration.Thisiswhythe
Buddhasaidthatconcentrationshouldbedeveloped.Hedidntsay,Statesof
concentrationcomeandgo.Youjustwatchtheircomingandgoingandsay,Ah,
yes,thisisinconstant,stressful,notself.Thatsnotthedutythatthefournoble
truthsassigntoconcentration.Thedutytheyassignisthatwhenyouencounter
statesofmindfulness,youtrytodevelopthem.Whenyouencounterstatesof
concentration,youtrytodevelopthem.Makethemstronger,becauseyoure
goingtoneedthemastools.Whateverservesasatoolonthepath,youwantto
takecareofit.Youdontjustletitgo.Thesamewiththebreath:Youworkwith
it,youtakecareofit,becauseitsgoingtohelpyougetthemindtosettledown.
Itsgoingtohelpgiveyouagoodsolidfoundation.
IknowsomeonewhowenttostudyinThailandaftershedbeendoingthe
AjaanLeemethod.Shemetateacherwhosaid:Whatisthis,improvingthe
breath?Youresupposedtoletitgoandbeonitsown.Afterall,itsjusta
sankhara,justafabrication.Whytrytoimproveit?Shereportedtomewhathe
hadsaid.Myresponsewas:Gobackandaskhim,Whybatheyourbody?After
all,itsjustasankhara,justletitgo.Ofcourseyoucantdothat.Youvegotto
lookafterthebodybecauseyoureusingitasatool.Thesamewiththebreath:
180
Youlookafterthebreath,tendtoit,becauseithelpsthemindtosettledown
withasenseofeaseandsoliditythatyouregoingtoneedfordeeperinsights.At
thesametime,asyoureworkingwiththebreath,yougetinsightintocauseand
effect.Becauseevenwhenthemindsettlesdownandyouseethings,youvegot
totestthem.
Sometimesyouheartheteachingthatoncethemindsettlesdown,yougetin
touchwithyourBuddhanatureoryourInnerStillness,andyoucantrust
whateveryourBuddhanatureorInnerStillnesstellsyou.TheBuddhanever
taughtthatway.Evenstreamenterers,hesaid,havegottobeheedful.Youcant
trusteverythingthatcomesoutofthemind.Heevensaidthatarahantshadtobe
heedfulabouttheiractions.Eventotallyenlightenedbeingscanttotallyassume
thateverythingtheyseeorhearisactuallythewayitis.Theyhavetotestit.
GolookintheVinaya.Acoupleoftheruleswereactuallyformulated
becausesomearahantsmadesomemistakes.Forinstance,therestheruleagainst
monkseatingstoredupfood.Ven.Belatthasisa,whowasanarahant,figured,
Well,Icanjustgoforalmsonceaweek,taketheleftoverrice,anddryit.Thats
anicefrugalwayofliving,andIdonthavetogooutforalmseveryday.Justeat
theleftoverricefromthedaysbefore.TheBuddhafoundoutaboutitandtook
himtotask.Hesaid,Thisisnotawisecourseofaction.Thestorydoesnt
explainwhattheBuddhasreasoningwas,butifyoulookatthehistoryof
Buddhism,youseethatdowntheline,inlatercenturies,whenmonksstopped
goingforalms,theycreatedariftintheBuddhistcommunityatlarge.The
monkslivedontheirown,theyhadtheirownkitchens,withmonastery
attendantstofixtheirfood.Laypeoplebasicallystoppedcaringaboutthe
monks.Andasaresult,whentheMuslimscameintoIndiaanddestroyedthe
monasteries,thelaypeopledidntreallycare.Theconnectionhadbeensevered.
TheBuddhasawthatfarahead.Soevenfullyawakenedarahantscantalways
assumethatwhattheythinkistrue.Theyvegottotestitandcheckit,justlike
everybodyelse.Sowheninsightsariseinyourmeditation,orwhenyougainan
intuitivefeelforsomething,thequestionisnotwheretheinsightcomesfrom,
butwhathappenswhenyouapplyit.Youviewitasahypothesisinan
experiment.
Youredevelopinganexperimentalintelligencehere.Youtakethepassages
youreadinthetextsandyouexperimentwiththem.Youtaketheinsightsyou
receivefrommeditationandyouexperimentwiththem.Theresapassageinthe
veryfirstsuttaintheDighaNikaya,listingallthedifferentkindsofwrongviews
thatpeoplecandevelop,andnoteverywrongviewcomesfrompeoplesimply
thinkingthingsoutwithouthavingpracticedmeditation.Alotofwrongviews
comefrompeoplewhomeditateandgainsomeinsightsorintuitiveknowledge,
181
buttheknowledgeisntascompleteastheythoughtitwas.Sotheyjumptothe
wrongconclusions.
Whatthismeansisthatwhetherthesourceofyourinsightissomething
youvelearnedfromthetexts,somethingyouvethoughtoutonyourown,an
intuitivefeelingyouhave,orsomethingthatcomesupinyourmeditation,you
alwayshavetotestittosee:IfIadoptthis,wheredoesitgo?Whatdoesit
connectwith?Whataretheconnectionshereintermsofcauseandeffect?Thats
howyoutesttosee,intermsoftheinsightsyougain,whichonesarefoolsgold
andwhichonesaregenuinegold.Youputthemtouseandthenseewhat
happens.Andyoualwaysadopttheheedfulattitudethatsays,Imtesting
thingshere.IwontdrawanyfirmconclusionsuntilIveseenwhatactually
worksinfreeingthemind.AstheBuddhasays,justbecauseyoulikea
particulartruthoritseemstofitinwithyourworldview,thatsnoguaranteethat
itsactuallytrue.
WeveallreadtheKalamaSutta,wheretheBuddhasaysnottotakereligious
textsasbeingnecessarilytrue.Thatstheparteverybodyseemstoremember.
Theotherpartthough,isthathealsosaysnottotakewhatyoulikeasnecessarily
beingtrue.Donttakewhatseemstofitintoyourworldviewastrue;donttake
whatseemstoworkoutlogicallyasnecessarilybeingtrue.Youvegottotest
things.Whenyouadoptthisorthatidea,thisorthatpractice,whathappens?
Checkthesethingsoutnotonlyagainstyourownexperience,butalsoagainst
theexperienceofwisepeople.Inthisway,youremuchmorelikelytofindtruths
thatreally,reallyaretrue,becausetheyvestooduptothetest.
Ofcoursethismeanswehavetobeverycarefulinhowweconductourtests,
whichagainiswhyweworkatdevelopingconcentration,developing
mindfulness,allthementalattributesofpatience,endurance,alertness,honesty,
anddiscernment.Theyputusinapositionwherewecantestthingsand
evaluatetheresultsreliably,sothatwerenotovercomebybiasandwecan
overcomethelimitationsoftheworldviewsandideaswebringtothepractice.
Afterall,thepurposeofthepracticeistoseethingsweveneverseenbefore,
toattainthingsweveneverattainedbefore.Thatmeansyouhavetolearnhow
toovercomethelimitationsofyourassumptions.Andthisishowyoudoit:You
adoptthisexperimentalwayofdevelopingintelligence,sothatyourhearts
desireatruehappinesswillgetfulfilled,evenifitsnotquiteinthewayyou
mighthavewantedit.Afterall,thisdoesrequirework.Butitsapathofwork
andofeffortthatleadsultimatelytoahappinessthat,onceyouveattainedit,
doesntrequireanyefforttomaintain.Onlythroughgainingintelligenceinterms
ofcauseandeffectcanyoufindthehappinessthatultimatelyliesbeyondcause
andeffect.
182
Soweworkwiththenittygrittyofjustlearningtoobservewhatsgoingonin
themind,testingit,learningtoputawaywhateverassumptionsdontpassthe
testbecauseonlythroughworkingthroughthedetailslikethisdowe
ultimatelybreakthroughtosomethingmuchlargerandmorelasting.

183

ThreePerceptions

August21,2007

AlmostanybookonBuddhismwilltellyouthatthethreecharacteristics
thecharacteristicofinconstancy,thecharacteristicofstressorsuffering,andthe
characteristicofnotselfwereoneoftheBuddhasmostcentralteachings.The
strangething,though,isthatwhenyoulookinthePaliCanon,thewordfor
threecharacteristics,tilakkhana,doesntappear.Ifyoudoasearchonany
computerizedversionoftheCanonandtypein,say,thecharacteristicof
inconstancy,aniccalakkhana,itcomesupwithnothing.ThewordsnotinthePali
Canonatall.Thesamewithdukkhalakkhanaandanattalakkhana:Those
compoundsdontappear.Thisisnottosaythattheconceptsofanicca,dukkha,
andanattadontoccurintheCanon;justthattheyrenottermedcharacteristics.
Theyrenotcompoundedwiththewordcharacteristic.Thewordstheyare
compoundedwithareperception,saaasintheperceptionofinconstancy,the
perceptionofstress,andtheperceptionofnotselfandthewordanupassana,
whichmeanstocontemplateortokeeptrackofsomethingasitoccurs.For
instance,aniccanupassana,tocontemplateinconstancy,meanstolookfor
inconstancywhereverithappens.
Now,itstruethatyoullfrequentlyfindintheCanonthestatementsthatall
thingscompoundedorfabricatedareinconstant,thattheyreallstressful.Andall
dhammasallobjectsofthemindarenotself.Soifthatsthewaythingsare,
whynotjustsaythatthesearecharacteristicfeaturesofthesethings?Whymake
abigdealaboutthelanguage?Becausewordsarelikefingers,andyouwantto
makesuretheypointintherightdirectionespeciallywhentheyrelaying
blame,thewaythesethreeperceptionsdo.Andinourpractice,thedirection
theypointtoisimportantforanumberofreasons.
OneisthattheBuddhasconcernisnotwithtryingtogiveananalysisofthe
ultimatenatureofthingsoutside.Hesmoreinterestedinseeinghowthe
behaviorofthingsaffectsoursearchforhappiness.Asheoncesaid,allhetaught
wassufferingandtheendofsuffering.Thesufferingisessentiallyanissueofthe
mindssearchingforhappinessinthewrongplaces,inthewrongway.Welook
foraconstanthappinessinthingsthatareinconstant.Welookforhappinessin
thingsthatarestressfulandwelookforourhappinessinthingsthatarenot
self,thatliebeyondourcontrol.Thethreeperceptionsofinconstancy,stress,and
184
notselfarefocusedonourpsychology,onhowwecanrecognizewhenwere
lookingforhappinessinthewrongwaysothatwecanlearntolookfor
happinessintherightplaces,intherightways.Thecontemplationofthesethree
themes,theuseofthesethreeperceptions,isaimedatfindinghappinessofatrue
andlastingsort.
Soitsgoodtokeepremindingourselvesofthispoint,becauseourprime
focusinthemeditationshouldalwaysbeonthemind.Werenottryingto
analyzethingsoutsideinandofthemselves.Weretryingtoseehowtheminds
questforhappinessrelatestothewaythingsbehave.Youalwayswanttokeep
yourfocushere,onthemindsquest,evenwhenyoufocusonthebreath.When
thebreathgetsmoreandmorerefined,withasenseofeasefillingthebody,you
reachastagewherethemindandthebreathseemtobecomeunifiedandone.
Themindanditsfunctionsbecomemoreandmoreprominentinthemeditation,
andthebreathasitgrowsmoreandmoresubtlefadesintothebackground.
Thisisjustasitshouldbe,becausethemindistheculprit;thebreathisntthe
culprit.Thingsthatareinconstant,stressful,andnotself:Theyrenottoblame.
Theproblemisthewaythemindlookstothesethingsforhappiness.Evenwhen
itlooksforhappinessinarelativelywiseway,theseissuesarerelevant.
AstheBuddhasaid,thebeginningofwisdomiswhenyougotopeople
whovefoundtruehappinessandyouaskthem:WhatshouldIdothatwilllead
tomylongtermwelfareandhappiness?Noticethat:My.Longterm.Welfare
andhappiness.Thosethreecategoriesaredirectlyrelatedtothethree
perceptions.Themyisrelatedtonotself;longtermisrelatedto
inconstancy;welfareandhappinessisrelatedtostress.Thethreeperceptions
actaswaysoftestinganyhappinessyoufind,toseeifitmeasuresuptothe
standardsyouveset.ButtheyfollowonthewhatshouldIdo.Thathasto
comefirst.
Inotherwords,aswelookforhappiness,wefocusfirstonactionsthatdont
constituteultimatehappinessbutcanbeusedasthepath:thingslike
mindfulness,persistence,andconcentration.Atthatstage,theBuddhadoesnt
haveusfocustoomuchonthesethreecharacteristics.Hehasusfocusprimarily
onthedoing.Aspartofthedoing,weholdontootherperceptions:the
perceptionofbreath,say,ortheperceptionofwhateverourmeditationobjectis.
Wemakethatprominent.Andwetrytopushthatperceptionintoastateofsolid
concentrationwhichmeansthatwerepushingitinthedirectionofmakingit
constantandeaseful,andgettingitunderourcontrol.
Inthisway,wereactuallyfightingthethreecharacteristicsaswetrytobring
themindintoconcentration.Wepushtoseehowfarwecanfindahappiness
basedonconditionedthings.Onereasonforthisisthatifyoudontpushata
truthuntilitpushesback,youwontknowhowstrongitis.Anotherreasonis
185
thatweregoingtoneedthatconditionedhappiness,thatsenseofrelativelysolid
wellbeing,toputourselvesinapositionwherewecanlookatthingsvery
carefullyastheycometobe.Thatphrase,astheycometobe,comesintoplay
whenwerenolongerpushing.Butwevegottopushfirst.
Soyoukeepworkingonyourconcentrationinallyouractivities,tryingto
keepthemindasconstantlystillaspossiblenomatterwhattheoutside
conditionsmaybe.Youcreatetheconditionsforstillnessinside,asenseofease
inside,andtrytomaintainthatstillnessandeaseinthefaceofallsortsof
conditionsaroundyou.Youlearntogainmoreskill,morecontrol.
Atthisstageinthegame,theissuesofinconstancy,stress,andnotselfapply
primarilytothethingsthatwoulddistractyoufromyourconcentration.Youtry
toseethatnomatterhowattractiveoralluringorinterestingothertopicsmight
be,theydontmeasureuptoconcentrationasasourceforhappiness.Theyre
lessconstant,morestressful,lessunderyourcontrol.Soyoudroptheminfavor
oftheblissofconcentration.Youkeepthisup,gainingtheseinsights,until
youvefullymasteredconcentrationwhich,astheBuddhaoncesaid,happens
wellafteryourfirsttasteofthedeathless.
Thismeansthattheresgoingtobealongperiodinwhichyoureessentially
workingagainstthethreecharacteristics,atleastasfarasyourconcentrationis
concerned.Youllusethesethreeperceptionstoanalyze,say,anyobjectoflust,
anger,jealousy,orfearthatwouldpullyououtofconcentration.These
perceptionsarerelevantbecausetheyrewaysofremindingyourselfthatyou
cantfindtruehappinessinthoseobjects.Forthemeantime,thatshowyouuse
thecontemplationofthesethemes.
Andagainthefocusisnotsomuchontryingtogettotheultimatenatureof
theseoutsideobjectsasitisonusingtheperceptionasanantidoteforatendency
ofthemind.Afterall,theseperceptionsarenotintendedtobeastatementofthe
ultimatenatureofthingsouttherefor,whenyouthinkaboutit,theultimate
natureofthingsoutthereisreallynotallthatrelevantanissue.Wedonthang
ontothingsbecausewethinkthattheyhaveaninherentnature,thatthey
inherentlyexistordontexist.Wehangontothembecausewethinktheyre
goingtoprovidehappinessthatsworthwhateverefforttheyinvolve.Whatthe
Buddhaispointingoutisthattheyreallydontprovidethathappiness.The
happinesstheydoprovidedoesntreallymeasureup.Itsnotworththecost.
Soyouapplythesethreecontemplationstothingsoutsideofyour
concentration,andthenwatchtoseewherethemindresists.Inotherwords,
whatdoesitrefusetoseeasinconstant,stressful,andnotself?Whenyoucan
catchthemindresistinginthisway,youvegainedaninsightintoits
attachments.Youvefoundaspotwhereyouneedtodigdownandquestionits
resistance.Whatdeludedfantasyisthemindtryingtoprotecthere?What
186
attitudeisittryingtohidefromyourscrutiny?Inthisway,thethree
contemplationskeepcomingbacktothemind,astheyhighlightyour
attachmentsandtellyouwhereyoustillhaveworktodo.
Youcanalsoapplythesethreecontemplationstothefirststagesof
concentrationwhenyouwanttogotodeeperstages.Whenthemindissettled
andquietonabeginninglevel,isitasquietasitcouldbe?Oristherestillsome
inconstancythere?Ifyouseethatanyofthefactorsofyourconcentrationare
stressfulorinconstant,youdropthem,andthatwilltakeyoutodeeperstagesof
concentration.
Ultimately,asyourattachmentstothingsoutsideoftheconcentrationdrop
away,youturnyourattentionmoretoapplyingthesethreeperceptionsto
contemplatingtheconcentrationitself.Asthiscontemplationgetsmorerefined,
youseethateventhemoststablelevelofconcentrationyoucanattaintheone
thathasformedyourhighestexperienceofpleasureandeaseiscomposedof
fiveaggregatesonaverysubtlelevel,andevenonthissubtleleveltheirbehavior
displaysthesethreefeaturesallthetime.Youapplythethreeperceptionsto
themtopryawayevenyourattachmenttoconcentration.Thatswhenyou
inclinethemindtothedeathlessand,asthetextssay,thatinclinationcantake
youineitheroftwodirections.Oneistononreturning,whereyoudelightin
yourtasteofnibbanaasadhamma,asanobjectofthemind.Theotherisfull
arahantship,whenyougobeyondeventhatkindofdelight.
Itspreciselyatthisforkintheroadwheretheanalysisofsabbedhamma
anattaalldhammasarenotselfapplies:whereyoumightseenibbanaasa
dhamma,asanobjectofthemind.Aslongasyouperceiveitinthatway,theres
goingtobeattachment,theresgoingtobeadhammatoholdonto.Soyouhave
tolearnhowtoovercomethatattachmentbyapplyingtheperceptionofnotself
tothedhammaofthedeathless.Then,thetextssay,youletgoofalldhammas,
whichallowsyoutoseenibbanainanotherwaynotasadhamma,butasthe
abandoningofalldhammas.Thatstheultimate.Andatthatpoint,thesethree
perceptionslosetheirfunction.Theyvedonetheirwork,soyoucanputthem
aside.Afterall,theyreconditionedphenomena.Whenyouveputalldhammas
aside,youputthemaside,too.Arahantscancontinueusingtheseperceptionsas
apleasantabidingforthemind,toremindthemofwhytheyvegottheultimate
happiness,buttheseperceptionsarenolongerneededinthetaskofbringing
aboutrelease.
Soremember:Werenotheretoarriveatthetruenatureofthingsinandof
themselves,asidefromseeinghowtheirbehaviormakestheminadequateas
sourcesfortruehappiness.Theemphasisalwayspointsbacktousingthe
perceptionstocounteractunskillfultendenciesinthemind,becausetheissuesof
themindareparamount.
187
AjaanFuangoncehadastudentinSingaporewhowrotehimaletter
describinghowhismeditationhadreachedthepointwhereitwasconcerned
solelywithseeingthethreecharacteristicsineverythingheencountered.Ajaan
Fuanghadmewriteinreply:Dontfocusonthingsoutside.Keeplookingback
atthemind,toseewhatitisthatkeepscomplainingthattheyrestressful,
inconstant,andnotselfbecausethefaultliesnotwiththethings:Thefaultlies
withthemindthatslookingforhappinessinthewrongplace.
Sothatswhereyourattentionshouldalwaysbefocused:onthe
machinationsofthemind.Usewhateverperceptionsandmeansof
contemplationthatcancutthroughthemindsunskillfulhabits,andapplythem
inawaythatleadstothegoaloftheteachings:anunconditionedhappiness
whereyoucanputallperceptions,skillfulandunskillful,aside.

188

Disenchantment

October19,2007

Weallpracticeforthesakeofhappiness,forahappinessthatgoesdeeper
thanordinarypleasures.Butincomingtothepracticeweoftenbring
assumptionsabouthappinesshowitworks,whywereunhappy,whatwecan
dotobehappierassumptionsthatwerehardlyevenawareareassumptions
becauseweassumethemsostrongly.Wejusttakeitforgrantedthattheyretrue.
Andsometimestheygetintheway.
Twoofthemostcommonassumptionsareonesthatgetmostintheway.The
firstisthatwereunhappybecausewecantacceptthewaythingsare;thatthe
purposeofthepracticeistolearnmoreacceptance.Inotherwords,were
essentiallyneurotic,asinthatolddistinctionbetweenneurosisandpsychosis:
Thepsychoticpersonthinksthattwoplustwoequalsfive.Theneuroticperson
knowsthattwoplustwoequalsfour,buthatesthemforit.Ourproblemisthat
wesimplycantacceptthewaythingsare.Ifwecouldonlylearnhowtoaccept
thattwoplustwodoesequalfouranditsperfectlyfine,thenwedbehappy.
Andsointhatmodel,thepurposeofthepracticeistolearnacceptance.Buteven
Freudrecognizedthatgettingpeoplepasttheirneuroseswouldnotsolvethe
problemofhappiness.Ashesaid,itwouldsimplyleadthemtothelevelof
ordinary,everydaymisery.Andyetpartofthecommontheorysays,well,you
havetolearnhowtoacceptthatbecausethatsjustthewaythingsare.
Anothermodelisthatwereunhappybecausewehaveasenseof
separateness.Insideweredivided.Outsidewereseparatefromotherpeople;
wereseparatefromnature.Allweneedtolearnishowtodevelopasenseof
oneness,asenseofinterconnectedness,andthenwellbehappy.Butthatsnot
howtheBuddhasawinterconnectedness.Hesawthatthewaythingsare
interconnectedintermsofcauseandeffectisactuallyacauseforsuffering.And
evenasenseofoneness,hesays,isinconstant.Itcontainsasubtlesenseofstress.
Ifyouclingtoit,youregoingtosuffer.TheresapassageintheCanonwherehe
describesthehighestformofoneness,whichistheonenessornondualityof
consciousness,inwhichyouhaveasenseofconsciousnessasatotality,
containingeverything.Yeteventhat,hesays,isinconstant,stressful,andnot
self.
189
Whatthesetwoideasabouthappinesshaveincommonisthatthewaythings
areoutthereisalreadyagiven,andweresimplyonthereceivingendofwhats
given,sowehavetolearnhowtodeveloptheproperattitudetowhatsalready
there:Acceptandtrytofindonenesswithinthewaythingsare.ButtheBuddhas
takeonthingsisdifferent.Realityisonlypartlyagiven.Wearealsoshapersof
ourreality.Wehaveanactiveroleinshapingeverypresentmomentthatwe
experience.
Now,thepresentmomentisnotentirelyplastic,entirelyresponsiveto
everythingwewantoutofit.Someofitisformedbyinfluencescominginfrom
thepast,butpartofitcomesfromourintentionsinthepresentmoment.Inthis
waywearebothproducersandconsumers.Weproduceoursufferingandthen
weconsumeoursuffering.Weproduceourpleasuresandweconsumeour
pleasures.Understandingthispointhelpstoopentheroadtoadeeper
happiness,becausethereisahappiness,theBuddhasaid,thatisnotproduced
andnotconsumed.Itjustsimplyis.Butthewaywekeepfeedingonthe
happinessweproducegetsintheway.
Soforhim,thepurposeofthemeditationisnottocelebrateonenessorto
celebrateacceptance.Itstodeveloptwoverydifferentkindsofemotions:
disenchantmentanddispassion.ThePaliwordfordisenchantment,nibbida,also
meansdistaste,disgust,orrevulsion,whichmaysoundstrong,butitneedstobe
strong.Itsanantidotetoourstrongattachmenttofeedingonthings.That
attachment,theBuddhasaid,istheessenceofsuffering.Thewordupadana,
whichmeansclinging,alsomeanstheactofeating,oftakingsustenance.Hesays
thatupadanaliesattheessenceofsufferingandstress.Sowhatweneedtolearn
ishowtolookatthethingswefeedonuntilwedevelopastrongsensethatwe
dontwanttofeedonthemanymore.
Nowtogettothatpoint,theBuddhadoeshaveusdevelopacertainamount
ofacceptanceandacertainsenseofoneness.Thisiswhatthepracticeof
concentrationisallabout.Youstartbyfocusingononeobject,likethebreath,
andthenyoustaywithitlongenoughthatyoustartdevelopingasenseof
onenesswithit.Yourawarenessofthebreathandthebreathitselfseemto
becomeoneandthesamething.Theresasenseofunificationekodibhava
whichtheBuddhahasusdevelopasmuchaspossible.Andhehasustakethat
senseofonenessasfarasitcangothroughthelevelsofconcentration.
Why?Becausehewantsustofeedonthatandthentostartcomparingthis
foodwiththeotherthingswevebeenfeedingon,toseethatthisisamuchmore
refinedpleasure,amoresatisfyingformofnourishment.Thepleasureitgivesis
blameless:thepleasurethatcomesfromjustfocusingyourmind.Thepleasures
wegetfromthingsoutsidecontainacertainamountofblameinthatourtaking
pleasuremeansthatotherpeople,otheranimals,havetowork,havetosufferin
190
onewayoranother.Anexampleisphysicalfood.Asweeatphysicalfood,we
gainpleasure,buttogetthatfoodtoourplateorintoourbowlsrequiresalotof
workandsacrifice.SoastheBuddhasaid,thatsapleasurethatcontainssome
blame.OrinAjaanLeesterms,itcontainssomekammicdebts.Whereasthe
pleasurethatcomessimplyfromlearninghowtofocusonyourbreathisnot
placingaburdenonanyone,soitsatypeoffoodforthemindthatsreallyworth
developing.
Asyoudevelopasenseofonenesswiththefoodofconcentration,youlookat
theotherwaysthemindhasbeenfeedingonthingsforitsemotionalpleasures
andyourealizethattheyreprettymiserable.TheimagetheBuddhagivesinthe
Canonisofablindpersonwhohasbeengivenasoiled,oilyragbysomeonewho
says,Look.Thisisanice,clean,whitepieceofcloth.Theblindpersontakesthe
oilyragandgetsverypossessiveofit,thinkingthatitsanice,cleanwhitepiece
ofcloth.Butwhenadoctoreventuallycurestheblindpersonofhisblindness
andhecanstartseeing,thefirstthinghelooksatishiscloth.Herealizesthatits
notnice,clean,andwhite.Itsadirtyandoilyrag.Hesays,Wow,Iwasreally
fooledbythatguy.
Inthesameway,theBuddhasaysthatonceyouattainthefirsttasteof
Awakening,youlookbackonyouroldpleasuresandrealizehowyouvebeen
fooledbythemindthatinfindingyourpleasure,whatyouvebeenfeedingon
isjustformsandfeelingsandperceptionsandthoughtconstructsand
consciousnesswhich,whenyoureallylookatthemverycarefully,arenot
worthfeedingonatall.
TheresastorytheytellabouttheAmericanoccupationofJapanafterWorld
WarII.ThereweresomecooksinJapaneserestaurantswhowerereallyupsetby
thefactthattheyhadlostthewar,andnowtheyhadtopreparefoodforthe
occupiers.So,togetsomerevenge,theywouldtakehumanexcrementand
prepareitwithallkindsofwasabiorwhatevertomaskthetaste,andthenserve
ittotheirAmericancustomers.Theywouldfeedtheoccupiersshit,basically,and
theoccupiersdidntknow.Sothecooksgottheirperversepleasurethatway.If
youlookatwhatyouvebeentakingasfoodforthemind,yourealizethatits
justthesamesortofthing,thatallthepleasurewasinthepreparation.
Thisiswhywehavethecontemplationofthe32partsofthebody,the
analysisofthingsintermsoftheaggregates,intermsofthesensemedia,in
termsoftheproperties:sowecanrealizethatthefoodoflustorpossessiveness
wevebeenfeedingonwithregardtothebodyisreallynotbasedonmuch.It
doesntgiveusanyrealsustenance,andthepleasurewegetoutofitiscertainly
notworthalltheeffortthatgoesintodressingitup.Thepurposeofthis
contemplationistogainthatsenseofnibbidadisenchantmentorrevulsion
withthefoodwevebeenconsumingsothatwewontwanttoeatitanymore.
191
Whenyoudecideyoudontwanttoeatit,youturnaroundandlookatthe
factthatyouvebeenpreparingthisfoodallalong,andyourealizeyoudont
wanttoprepareitanylonger:Thatsdispassion.Youvehadapassionfor
creatingthisfoodoutofform,feeling,whatever.Thatswhyitwasthereasfood.
Butonceyougainasenseofdispassionforit,youstopcreatingit.Andwhen
youstopcreatingit,itsnolongerthere.Thatswhenyouexperiencecessation.
Themindisnolongerentangledeitherintheprocessofproductionorinthe
processofconsumption.Thatswhenitsfreed.Itopenstothehappinessthats
therewhenyourenotsowounduporenthralledinproductionand
consumptionofallthesemiserableformsoffood.
SotheBuddhastakeontruehappinessisverydifferentfromalotofthe
assumptionswetendtobringtothepractice.Itsimportanttokeepthisfactin
mind.Werenottotallyonthereceivingendofthings.Wereproducersand
consumersatthesametime.Andtheproducingandconsumingofourordinary
pleasuresorevensomeofourmorerefinedpleasuresiswhatsgettinginthe
wayofrealizingahappinessthatgoesbeyondallthis,thatsnotdependenton
beingconnectedorunconnected.Itsnotdependentonacceptingornot
accepting.Itsjustthere.Buttofinditwehavetodevelopasenseofdisconnect
withouroldenthrallments.Andwehavetodecidenottoacceptthewaythings
havebeen.Inthisway,theBuddhahasaverydifferentapproachtohowand
wheretofindtruehappiness.Butthehappinessthatcomesisalottruerthan
anythingthatcancomefromsimplylearninghowtoacceptthingsorlearning
howtobecomeonewiththem.
Sotrytokeepthispointinmindthatyourebothaproduceranda
consumerandtakeagood,hardlookatwhatyouvebeenproducingandhow
youvebeenconsumingit.Lookatalltheeffortthatgoesintoproducing
happinessoutofthisbodywehave,outoffeelingsandperceptionsandthought
constructsandconsciousness.Startaskingyourself:Isitreallyworthallthe
effort?Maybetheressomethingbetter.Maybeitstimetogrowup.Whenyou
candevelopthatsenseofdisenchantmentanddispassion,itleadstocessation.
Thenyourealizethatcessationisnotascarything.Itsnotlikeextinction.Its
morelikelearninghowtooutgrowsomeoldbadhabits,youroldaddictions,
youroldintoxications,andfindingthattheressomethingalotbettertherewhen
youputyouroldfeedinghabitsaside.

192

Becoming

July23,2007

Trytokeeptrackofthebreath.Dontthinkaboutthefactthatyouregoingto
behereforawholehour.Justthinkaboutthisbreath,andthenthisbreath,each
breath,onebreathatatime.Thinkaboutitandwatchit,seewhatitdoes.What
doyounoticewhenitcomesin;whatdoyounoticewhenitgoesout?Whatway
ofcominginfeelsbestforthebody;whatwayoflettingitgooutfeelsbestfor
thebody?Thebreathiscalledthefabricatorofthebody,orbodilyfabrication
kayasankharabothbecausethewayyoubreathehasahugeimpactontheway
youexperienceyourbody,andbecausetheresanintentionalelementinthe
breath.Itsoneofthefewbodilyprocessesthatcanbeeithervoluntaryor
involuntary.Somakethemostofthefactthatyoucanexertsomevoluntary
controloverit.Youcanchoosewhentobreathein;youcanchoosewhento
breatheout.Thenitsamatteroflearningthebestreasonsforchoosingto
breatheinorbreatheoutinanyparticularway.
Canyousensehowthebodytellsyouthatnowsagoodtimeforanin
breath,nowsagoodtimeforanoutbreath?Ithasitssignals,youknow.There
arecertainfeelingsinthebodythatyoucanlearntorecognizeovertime,and
youcanexplorehowbesttorespondtothem.Taketheircueinsuchawaythatit
leadstoasenseoffullness.Forexample,youcanbreatheintillthebodyfeels
full,andthenyoudontsqueezeitout.Allowittostayfull.Eventhoughthe
breathwillgoout,youcanstillmaintainsomesenseoffullness.Whenthenext
breathcomesin,addalittlebitmorefullness.Thesamewiththenextandthe
next.Itbuildsupovertime.Simplybyapproachingthebreathingprocessina
particularway,youcancreateastateofease,youcancreateastateoffullness
evenasenseoffullnessthatsabittoomuch.Sometimespeoplecanbegintofeel
thattheyregoingtodrowninbreathenergy.Youmightwanttotemperthata
littlebit.Butaslongasthefullnessfeelsrefreshingandblissful,stickwithit.
TherewasonceaseniormonkinBangkokwhowaslearningmeditationfrom
AjaanLee.HewaswellreadandknewhisBuddhistdoctrine.Afterawhileof
practicingconcentration,hecomplainedtoAjaanLee,Aswebringthemindto
concentrationlikethis,arentwedevelopingstatesofbecomingandbirth?
Bhavaandjatiarethewordsheused.Youmayhavenoticedaswewerechanting
theSuttaonSettingtheWheelofDhammainMotionjustnow:Thecravingthat
193
leadstofurtherbecomingisthecravingthatleadstosufferingaswell.Thesenior
monkwasreasoningfromthispoint,sayingthatweshouldbetryingtoabandon
statesofbecomingandbirth,andyetherewearecreatingthem.AndAjaanLee
said,Precisely.Thatswhatweredoing.Ifyouwanttounderstandbecoming
andbirth,youhavetoconsciouslycreatethesestates.Createastateofwellbeing,
createastateoffullness,getgoodatit.Thatswhenyouunderstandtheprocess.
Beforeyoutakethingsapart,youhavetolearnhowtoputthemtogether.
Andthatswhatweredoingrightnow,creatingastateofbecoming,astate
ofwellbeingorwellbecoming.Wedothisbothsothatwecangetgoodat
creatingitandsothat,inthecourseofcreatingit,wecanputthemindinagood
spotwhereitcanwatchthingsmorecarefully,moreclearly.Whenthemindis
comfortableinthepresentmoment,ateaseinthepresentmoment,itcanstay
firmlyinthepresentmomentandwatchprocessestransparentlyastheycome,as
theygo.Yougetabettersenseofyourrawmaterials.
Thecreatingofastateofbecominginthemindlikethisisthekammaofyour
meditation,righthere,rightnow.Alotofpeoplebelievethatkammaisoneof
thoseteachingsthatsnotparticularlyrelevanttotheirmeditationpractice.But
essentially,kammaiswhatthepracticeisallabout.Afterall,kammaiswhat
youredoingtocreatesuffering.Changingyourkammaiswhatsgoingtobring
sufferingtoanend.TheBuddhatendstoavoidtalkingaboutmetaphysical
issues,butkammaistheonebigmetaphysicalissuehetalksaboutalot.The
natureofaction,whatactiondoes,whenitgivesitsresults,thefactthatactionis
real,thatitgivesresultsbothimmediatelyandovertime:Thesearemetaphysical
issues.AndthereasontheBuddhafocusesontheseandnotonotherissuesis
becausethenatureofactionisimportantforunderstandingwhywesufferand
howwecanstopsuffering.Theresthekammathatleadstosuffering;theresthe
kammathatleadstoitsend.
Sowereheretryingtounderstandwhatactionisallabout,whatactiondoes,
andwhatitcreates.AndourstateofconcentrationisExhibitA,ourprimary
exampleofactionrighthere.Werecreatingastateofwellbeing.Youcantletgo
ofstatesofwellbeinguntilyoulearnhowtomakegoodones.AjaanLees
example,whenhewastalkingtothatseniormonk,wasofhavingachickenthat
layseggs.Someoftheeggs,hesaid,youcantakeapartandanalyze;someofthe
eggsyoucaneat.Ifyoudonthaveanythingtoeat,youdonthavethestrength
totakethingsapartandanalyzethem.Werefeedingonthesenseofeasethat
comesfromtheconcentrationbecausethatgivesusthestrengthtoanalyze
things.
Howdoyouanalyzethings?Youtakethingsapartintermsofwhatyoure
fabricatingandoftherawmaterialswithwhichyourefabricatingthem.
194
Forexample,weallknowtheteachingthatyoucreateasenseofselfoutof
anyofthefiveaggregates,allofwhichareactivities.Well,youcanwatch
yourselfasyoumeditate:Exactlyhowdoyoucreateasenseofmeorminearound
whatyouredoing?Onethingyoutendtoseeveryquicklyisthewayyoursense
ofselfgetsinvolvedasyouwatchyourselfdoingthemeditationwellorpoorly.
Whenthingsarentgoingwell,youthinkyoureahopelessmeditator.Yougetall
tiedupinknots.Whentheyregoingwell,yougetcomplacentandthinkyourea
greatmeditator.Eitherway,yousetyourselfupfortrouble.Butwhenyou
realizethatthisistheprocessofImakingandmymakinginaction,youlearnto
leavethingsattheleveloftherawmaterials.YoudonthavetomakeanIout
ofthem,justnoticethattherearefeelings,perceptions,fabrications.Asyou
watchthesethingsevenmorecarefully,youbegintorealizethateventhese
aggregateshaveanelementoffabrication,anelementofintention,inwhatyou
thoughtwastheirrawform.
AstheBuddhasays,wecreateformforthesakeofformness.Yoursenseof
theformofthebodyissomethingyoufashionoutofsensationssothatyoucan
breatheandmove.Youcancreateformlessstatesaswell.Thisiswhatyoulearn
whenyoumovefromthefourthjhanaintothefourformlessstates:theinfinitude
ofspace,theinfinitudeofconsciousness,nothingness,andneitherperceptionnor
nonperception.Yourealizethatyoudocreateasenseofformwithregardtothe
bodybythewayyoumovethebreatharound.Whenthebreathisvery,verystill,
thatsenseofformbeginstodisintegrate,todissolveaway,andyouhavethe
choiceofnotapplyingtheperceptionofformtothebody.Youbecomesensitive
tothespacethatpermeatesbetweentheatomsofsensationmakingupyour
senseofthebody.Alltheplaceswhereyoufeelspaceinthebodybeginto
connectandthentheyconnectwiththespaceoutside.
Itsasifyouhaveamistofatomshere.Inordertobreathe,youapplied
perceptionsi.e.,mentallabelstothatmassofmist;youhadanimageofthe
formofthebodythatallowedyoutomakeitmove.Butwhenyoudonthaveto
movethebodyaroundyoudontevenhavetomovethebreatharound
everythinggrowsverystillandyoucandropthatsenseofformifyouwantto.
Youcanchooseinsteadtofocusontheperceptionofspacepermeatingthemist.
Thatswhenyouexperiencetheinfinitudeofthatspaceandatthatpointyou
begintorealizethateventheperceptionofformortheexperienceofform
containsanelementofintention.Youthenbegintoseethisprocessinrelationto
theformlessrealmsaswell:Whenyoudroptheperceptionofspace,youreleft
withaperceptionofknowing.Thatshowyoumovefromasenseofthe
infinitudeofspacetotheinfinitudeofconsciousness.Theseexperiencescanbe
willed,andthefactthattheyresosubtleallowsthewillingtobetransparent.
195
Whatyouredoingistotakeyourexperienceapart,layerbylayer,seeing
wherethedifferentlevelsofintentiongetinvolvedandlearninghowtodrop
them.Asyouprogressivelydoawaywiththeselayersofintention,yougetdown
towhattheBuddhacallsknowledgeofthingsastheyhavecometobe.Ashe
said,onlywhenhehadgainedknowledgeofthingsastheyhavecometobein
termsofthefournobletruths,andthethreelevelsofknowledgeabouteach
truthdidheclaimfullAwakening.Thatsthekindofknowledgewere
workingourwaydownto.Andtheonlywayyoucangetdowntothatlevelof
unintended,unshaped,unfabricatedexperience,gettingdowntotheabsolutely
rawestoftherawmaterialsofthepresentmoment,isfirstbyconsciouslyputting
themtogetherintosomething.Otherwise,youmissalotofsubtleties.
Sometimesyouhearpeoplesay:Trytositwiththingssimplyastheyare,
rightfromtheverybeginningofthemeditation,andyoucangetintoastateof
equanimityorpuremindfulness.Andthenyourealizethatthatequanimityis
unfabricated.Equanimityandmindfulness:Thatsit,thatstheunfabricated.
Butthatsnotthecaseatall.Equanimityandmindfulness,whentheyrepure,
constitutethefourthjhana,nottheunfabricated.Theresanelementof
fabricationinmindfulness;theresevenanelementoffabricationinequanimity.
Butunlessyoulearnconsciouslyhowtofabricatemindfulnessandequanimity
forlongperiodsoftimeandthenhowtoobservethem,youwontnoticethis.
Thisiswhyyouhavetobuildupthesestatesofconcentrationbeforeyoucan
starttakingthemapart.
TheresasuttawheretheBuddhatalksabouttheissueofthirstingfor
becoming,thirstingfornonbecoming,andseeingthingsastheyhavecometo
be.Hestartsoutwithtwoextremes:Therearepeoplewhojustlovebecoming
this,becomingthat,creatingstatesofbeingasmuchastheycan;andthereare
otherpeoplewhowanttodestroystatesofbeing.Theyvegottensickofwhat
theyvedoneintermsofcreatingtheirworldandtheirexperiences,andtheyjust
wanttodestroythewholething.TheBuddhasaysthatneitherextremeisproper.
Increatingthings,youjustcreatemoresuffering.Thatpointisobvious.Butin
destroyingthesethings,youcreateadifferentkindofstateofbecoming,the
processofsearchingfornonbecoming.That,hesays,simplyleadstomore
becoming.Youtakeontheidentityofthedestroyer,theannihilator.Thetrickis
toseesimplywhathascometobe,i.e.,toseetherawmaterialsyouvebeen
shapingintothepresentsimplyasthatasrawmaterialsandthenlearnto
developdispassionforthem.
Itsasifyouvebeenbuildinghouseswithwhatyouthoughtwerebricks.But
ifyoulookcarefullyatthebricks,yourealizethattheyreactuallyfrozenmeat.
Ofcourseanyhousebuiltoutoffrozenmeat,asitgetsexposedtotheheat,is
goingtoturnintoabigpileofrottingflesh.Whenyourealizethat,youdevelop
196
dispassionfortheactivityofbuildinghouses;youdevelopdispassionfortheraw
materials.Thatswhenyouletgo.Youdonthavetodestroythehouses.They
disintegrateontheirown.Theissuehereislearningtoseetherawmaterials
simplyastheyare,assomethingthatscomeintobeingthroughyourpast
kamma.Andnomatterhowskillfulyouareatbuildinganelaboratehousewith
lotsofgingerbreadandbalconiesandwhatever,itsstillfrozenmeatandits
goingtothaw.
Sowhenyoudevelopdispassionforwhatscometobe,youfindtrue
freedom.Youstopthisprocessoffabricating,building,creatingstatesofbeing.
Youdonthavetodestroythestatesofbeing.Simplythefactthatyouvestopped
creatingthem,stoppedclingingtothem,letsthemfallawayontheirown.And
yourdispassionmeansthatyouwontreplacethemwithnewones.
Itsasubtleskill,whichmeansthatyoucantgostraighttothelettinggo.
Firstyouvegottolearnhowtobuildproperly.Onlythencanyouseethe
subtletiesoftheintentionsinthemindand,atthesametime,getafeltsensefor
yourrawmaterials.Otherwiseyouholdtotheintentionofbeingequanimous,
andthinkthatthatsit.Ortotheintentionofbeingtotallypassive,nonreactive,
andthinkthatthatsitwithoutseeingthatthat,too,isanintention;that,too,
hasanelementofwillthatkeepsitgoing.
Sotrytobeasskillfulasyoucaninstayingwiththebreath,increatinga
senseofwellbeingthroughthebreathing,becauseitteachesyoualotof
importantlessonsabouttheelementofkamma,theelementofwilland
fabricationthatgoesintothepresentmoment.Itteachesyouabouttheraw
materialsandthemanylevelsofintentiontherewithinthem.Youtaketheseraw
materialsandturnthemintoatransparentstatethatallowsyoutowatchthese
processesinaction,sothatsomedayyou,too,canreachthatpointwhere,after
puttingthingstogether,youcantakethemapart,seethingssimplyastheycome
intobeing,developdispassionforthem,anddropthem.Thatwayyoucantest
foryourself:WhentheBuddhasaidthatthereisanunfabricated,iswhathesaid
reallytrue?
Itmayseemlikeweregoingintheoppositedirectionaswefabricate
concentrationhere,buttheonlywayyouregoingtoseewhatsunfabricatedisif
youretotallysensitivetoeveryleveloffabricationpossible.Soalthoughwere
creatingastateofbecomingherewiththebreathastateofwellbeing,astateof
rapture,ease,unificationofmindasAjaanLeesays,youregoingtoneedtoeat
someoftheseeggs.Youcanttakethemallapart;youcantdestroyallofthem.
Youvegottoeatsomeoftheminordertokeepgoing.Sofeedyourselfwell.
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BeyondNature

August8,2007

Itsgoodtocomebacktoaplacelikethiswhereyoucanhearthecrickets
chirpingintheevening,thesoundofthedovesinthelateafternoon.Theres
somethinginthebodyandthemindthatrespondstobeingoutinnaturelike
this.Themindgetsthechancetosettledown,toputasidealotofitscares.And
forthoseofyouwhovebeenlivinginthecity,cutofffromnature,theresoften
thethoughtthatifonlyyoucouldgetbacktonatureandstaythere,thatwould
solveallyourproblems.Butgoaskpeoplewholiveinnatureallthetime,and
theycantellyoualonglistofproblemstheystillsufferfrom,livingoutin
nature.
Thinkabouthumanhistoryasawhole.Thetimeswhenpeoplegetreally
romanticaboutnaturearethetimeswhentheydonthavetoliveinit.Theidea
ofromanticizingwildernessdidntcomeintoforceinAmericauntilthefrontier
hadbeenclosed,andnaturehadbeentamedtosomeextenttotheextentthat
humanbeingscantamenature.Itsimportanttokeepthisinmindaswe
practice.Comingoutheredoesntsolveallyourproblems.Whatitdoesisthatit
givesyouaplacetopractice,soyoucanlookdeeperintowherethereal
problemsare.
WhentheBuddhatalkedabouthowconditionscausesuffering,hewasnt
talkingjustaboutyoursocialconditioning.Hewastalkingaboutconditionsof
nature.Thatchantwehadjustnowtheworldissweptawaydoesntrefer
justtothehumansocialworldoryourpsychologicalworld.Italsoreferstothe
worldasawhole.Everythinginnatureismarkedwithinconstancy,stress,things
thatliebeyondyourcontrol.Thisappliesnotonlytohumanbeingsbutalsoto
animalsofeverykind.
Yousometimeshearpeopleromanticizingthementallifeofanimals,that
theydontsufferbecausetheydonthaveasenseofself.Thatsnotthecase.
Animalsoftensuffermorethanwedo.Theyliveinconstantfear,withnoreal
understandingofwhatsgoingonaroundthem.Alltheyknowisthattheyre
hungryallthetime,yettheneedtogooutandsearchforfoodforcesthemto
placethemselvesindanger.
Andyoucanreadthewritingsoftheforestmonks:Theycertainlydont
romanticizenature.EvenAjaanLee,whenhetalksabouttheadvantagesof
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livingintheforestandthelessonsyoulearnthere,doesnttalkabouthowniceit
istogetbackandbeonewithnature.Hisfocusismoreonhownatureisa
dangerousplacewhereyouhavetolearntobeheedfulallthetime.
Wedontsufferonlybecauseofoursocialconditioning.Wesufferbecause
weliveinaworldofintereating,wherebeingsareconstantlyfeedingonone
another.Wehavethisinnerdesire,thisinnerneedtosurvive,tofeed.Tocreate,
tokeeptheseworldsthattheycallbhavaouremotionalworlds,ourmental
worlds,andthephysicalworldweliveintokeepourexperienceofthese
worldsgoing,tosurvive,requiresthatwefeedononeanother,emotionally,
mentally,physically.Andtheressufferingnotonlyinbeingeaten,butalsoin
havingtoeat.
SotheconditionstheBuddhastalkingaboutarenotjustsocialconditions.
Wedontsufferonlybecausewereneuroticaboutourcravings.Cravinginitself
isacauseofsuffering.Itsalsothecauseofcontinuedbeingandbecoming.This
ishownaturekeepsgoing:Animalscrave.Peoplecrave.Thisishowwekeep
going,thisishowwesurvive,thisishowwedie,howwegetreborn.
Sothewaysofnaturearenotanidealtowhichweretryingtoreturn.They
exemplifytheproblem,whichisthataslongasyouhavetofeed,theresgoingto
besuffering.Aslongasyourhappinessdependsonconditionsofanykind,
theresgoingtobesufferingandstress.Theadvantageofcomingtoaplacelike
thisisthatyougettolookdeepinsidethemindtoseewherethewellspringsof
thesecravingscomefrom,thisprocessoffabricationthatliesdeepwithinthe
mind.
Aswemeditate,weretryingtostudyfabricationasweexperienceit.Thisis
theconditioningprocessinthemindandinthebody.Thebasicfabricationin
termsofthebodyisthebreath.Andasforthemind,therearetwotypesof
fabrication:verbalandmental.Verbalfabricationisdirectedthoughtand
evaluation.Thesearetheprocesseswithwhichyouputsentencestogetherinthe
mind.Youfocusonatopicandthenyoumakecommentsaboutit.That
conditionsthemind.Thentherespurelymentalfabrication,whichisfeelingand
perception,perceptionheremeaningthelabelsyouapplytothings,while
feelingmeansthedifferentfeelingtonesofpleasure,pain,andneither
pleasurenorpain.
Normally,thewayweputthesethingstogethercausesstressandsuffering.
Ifyoudothiswithignorance,yousuffer.Ifyoucanlearnhowtodoitwith
knowledge,youcanturntheseprocessesoffabricationintothepath.This
doesntmeanthatwhenyoureonthepathyoudontsuffer.Itssimplya
differenttypeofsuffering.Itsasufferingthatleadstotheendofsuffering,the
kammathatleadstotheendofkamma.Theresstillgoingtobeasubtlelevelof
sufferinginthebreathevenwhenyoureconcentratedonit.Thebreathcanget
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verysubtleandverypleasant,evenrapturous,buttheresstillanelementof
stressthere.Butforthetimebeing,youregoingtousethatasapath.
Infact,youputallthreetypesoffabricationtogethertogetthemindinto
concentration.Youthinkaboutthebreaththatsdirectedthoughtandyou
evaluatethebreath.Youexploretoseewhichwaysofperceivingthebreathhelp
intheprocessofmakingitfeelmorecomfortable,soyouvegotperceptionand
feelingthereaswell.
Inthiswayyouretakingtheprocessoffabricationandturningitintoapath
totheendoffabrication.Asyoudothis,youbegintoseehowmuchyour
intentionsreallydoshapethesethings.TheBuddhaspictureofyourexperience
isnotthatyouresimplyapassiveobserverofthings,commentingonthem.In
otherwords,itsnotlikewatchingaTVshow.TheTVshowisagiven,andyou
simplylikeitordislikeitoryoureneutralaboutit.Thatsall.Butthatsnotthe
Buddhaspictureofexperience.Hesaysthatyoureactivelyengagedinshaping
yourexperienceallthetime.Infact,theextenttowhichyourintentionsare
shapingyourexperiencegoesalotdeeperandisalotmoreradicalthanyou
mightimagine.ThisisoneoftheinsightsofAwakening:howmuchyourpresent
intentionsareneededforyoutoexperienceeventhepresentmoment.Asthe
Buddhapointsout,alloftheaggregatesform,feeling,perception,fabrication,
andconsciousnesshaveanelementofintentioninthem.
Therearelotsofdifferentpotentialsfromyourpastkammathatyoucan
focusoninanygivenmoment.Yourchoiceofwhattofocusonisgoingto
determinewhatyouexperience.Forinstance,therearepotentialsfordifferent
kindsoffeelings.Thereareplacesinthebodythat,ifyoufocusedonthem,could
getyoureallytiedupinanguishorpain.Youcouldtakethegermsofapainand
buildthemintosomethingreallyoverwhelming.Thereareotherplacesinthe
bodywheretheresapotentialforpleasure.Ifyoulearnhowtofocusthere,you
candevelopastrongsenseofrefreshment,rapture,wellbeing.Thenyoucanlet
thatpleasureandrefreshmentpermeateandfillthebodyinthesamewaythat
thecoolwaterinaspringcomingfromthebottomofalakecanfillthewhole
lakewithitscoolness.
Soyouhavethechoiceofwhatyouregoingtofocusonnowwhich
sensationsinthebodyhelpcreateasenseofwellbeing,whichonescouldcreatea
senseofdisease,whatyouregoingtothinkabout,whatyouregoingtofocus
on.Thosearechoicesyoumakeallthetime.Youtakethesepotentialsandturn
themintoanactualexperience.Whenyourealizehowyoudothis,youcanlearn
howtomakeyourchoicesmoreskillfully.
Thisistheadvantageofcomingoutintoarelativelynaturalplacelikethis.
Itsnottotallynatural.Ifweturnedoffthewater,theavocadotreeswoulddie
andthechaparralwouldtakeover.Therewouldntbeanyshadeduringtheday.
200
Soevenhereintheorcharditsnottotallynatural.Butatleasttheresenough
peaceandquietforyoutolookintothemindandseethatthesourceoftroubleis
notyoursocialconditioningasmuchasitsjusttheplainoldfactofconditioning
orfabricationthisprocessofbecoming,whichisfedbycraving.Whenyouhear
thosecricketscricketingoutthere,theyrenotdoingitintotalpleasureandjoy.
Theyrehungry.Whenyouwatchtheanimalsaroundintheorchard,yousee
thattheyrehungry.Theyhavetobewaryastheyventureoutforfood.
Asameditator,youhavetobewaryaswell.Evenwhenyoucreategood
statesofconcentration,thatsstillatypeofbecoming.Itstilldependsoncauses
andconditions.Atleastitputsthemindinapositionwhereitcanobservethe
processofbecominganddigdeeper,towatchtheconditioning,toseehowit
happensandultimatelytodigdowntoanareawheretheresnoconditioning
anymore,whichissomethingthatstandsoutsideofnatureasweknowit.
Itsnotthecasethattheconditionedcomesfromtheunconditioned.Theway
theBuddhaexplainedcausalityisthatcausesandeffectsinfluenceeachother.
Aneffectturnsaroundandhasaninfluenceonitscause.Sotheresnoprime
moverorfirstcauseorgroundofbeingintheBuddhasteachingsatall,forevery
causecangetshapedbyitseffects.Andifanybodyhadbeenqualifiedtotalk
aboutBuddhanature,theBuddhawouldhavebeentheone.Buthenevertalked
aboutBuddhanatureatall,neversaidthatBuddhanaturewasthegroundof
being.Hesimplynotedthattherearecausesandconditionsthataffectone
another.
Soifsomethingisgoingtobeunconditioned,ithastolieoutsideofthe
causalprocessentirelysomethingthatsalreadythere,butaslongasyoure
entangledinfabricationyourenotgoingtoseeit.Theonlywayyoucanseeitis
ifyouturnthefabricationinthedirectionofthepath,sothatthewayyou
breathe,thewayyouthink,andthewayyoufeelandperceivethingsis
conditionednotbyignorance,butbyknowledge,byawarenessinparticular,
awarenessofwhichactivitiescausestressandwhichactivitiesdont.Thatkindof
awarenessyoudevelopgradually.Itsaskillyouworkonasyougetmoreand
moresensitivebothtotheprocessoffabricationandtothestressthatitcauses
evenatverysubtlelevels.Ultimately,youbringthemindtothepointwhereyou
realizethatnomatterwhichdirectionyoufabricate,whichdirectionyouintend,
theresgoingtobestress.Ifyourdiscernmentissharp,youdropallintentionat
thatpoint.Thatswhenthemindopensuptothisotherdimension,whichis
totallyseparate.
Soitsnotthecasethatwerereturningtoaplacewevecomefrom.Afterall,
astheBuddhapointsout,evenlittlebabieshavetheirgreed,anger,anddelusion.
Itsjustthattheirfacultiesandbodiesarentstrongenoughtoactonthose
defilementsverypowerfully.Buttheysufferpowerfully:Youcanseethatvery
201
clearly.Assoonasachildcomesoutofthewomb,itcries.Alotofthechilds
earlylifeisspentincryingbecauseithasallsortsofdesiresandyetcantfulfill
them.Ithasallsortsofpainsbutdoesntknowwhattodoaboutthem.Sowere
nottryingtoreturntothatstateortoastateofnaturelikeananimal.Were
tryingtofindsomethingthatgoesbeyondnatureasweknowit.Afterall,ifwe
weresimplyreturningtoastatewherewewerebefore,whatstopreventus
fromcomingbackoutofthatstateagain?Ifwecouldforgetourtruewonderful
nature,wasitreallyallthatwonderfulortrue?Andwhatwouldpreventusfrom
forgettingitagain?
Soinsteadofreturningtosomethingold,welookatthisprocessof
fabricationthatsgoingonallthetimetoseeifwecanlearnsomethingnew
aboutit.Learnhowtounderstandit,learnhowtotakeitapart,useitasapath.
Learnhow,onceitstakenyouasfarasitcantakeyou,youcanletitgo.That,as
theBuddhasaid,allowsustoseesomethingweveneverseenbefore:toattain
theasyetunattained,torealizetheasyetunrealized.Inotherwords,were
headingintototallynewterritory.
Keepthatinmindasyoupractice.Youcancreatewonderfulluminousstates
inthemind,butrememberthatthose,too,arefabricated.Nomatterwhatcomes
upinthepractice,alwayslearnhowtofamiliarizeyourselfwithit.Andthen
learntolookforwheretheresstillalevelofinconstancyandstressinhere
becausethatperceptionofstressandinconstancywillbeyourwayout.

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Glossary

Ajaan(Thai):Teacher;mentor.
Arahant:Apersonwhohasabandonedalltenofthefettersthatbindthemind
tothecycleofrebirth,whoseheartisfreeofmentaldelement,andisthus
notdestinedforfuturerebirth.AnepithetfortheBuddhaandthehighest
levelofhisnobledisciples.Sanskritform:arhat.
Brahmavihara:Sublimeattitude,ofwhichtherearefour:limitlessgoodwill,
limitlesscompassion,limitlessempatheticjoy,andlimitlessequanimity.
Buddho(Buddha):Awake;enlightened.
Dhamma:(1)Event;action.(2)Aphenomenoninandofitself.(3)Mental
quality.(4)Doctrine,teaching.(5)Nibbana(althoughtherearepassagesinthe
PaliCanondescribingnibbanaastheabandoningofalldhammas).Sanskrit
form:dharma.
Dhammapada:AcollectionofshortversesattributedtotheBuddha.
DighaNikaya:TheLongCollection,therstsectionofdiscoursesinthePali
Canon.
Jhana:Mentalabsorption.Astateofstrongconcentrationfocusedonasingle
sensationorperception.Sanskritform:dhyana.
Kamma:Intentionalact.Sanskritform:karma.
Kathina:Agiftofclothandotherrequisitesmadetothemonksattheendofthe
RainsRetreat.
Khandha:Aggregate;heap;pile.Theaggregatesarethebasicbuildingblocks
ofdescribableexperience,aswellasthebuildingblocksfromwhichones
senseofselfisconstructed.Thereareveinall:physicalform,feeling,
perception,thoughtfabrications,andconsciousness.Sanskritform:skandha.
Khandhaka:Acollectionofminorrulesinthemonasticdiscipline.
LuangPu(Thai):VenerableGrandfather.Atermofrespectforaveryseniorand
elderlymonk.
Metta:Goodwill;kindness;benevolence;friendliness.
Nibbana:Literally,theunbindingofthemindfrompassion,aversion,and
delusion,andfromtheentireroundofdeathandrebirth.Asthistermalso
203
denotestheextinguishingofare,itcarriesconnotationsofstilling,cooling,
andpeace.Sanskritform:nirvana.
Pali:ThenameoftheearliestextantcanonoftheBuddhasteachingsand,by
extension,ofthelanguageinwhichitwascomposed.
Samvega:Asenseofdismay,terror,orurgency.
Sankhara:Fabrication;fashioning.Theforcesandfactorsthatfashionthings,the
processoffashioning,andthefashionedthingsthatresult;allthings
conditioned,compounded,orconcoctedbynature,whetheronthephysical
orthementallevel.Insomecontextsthiswordisusedasablankettermfor
allvekhandhas.Asthefourthkhandha,itrefersspecicallytothe
fashioningorformingofurges,thoughts,etc.,withinthemind.
Sutta:Discourse.Sanskritform:sutra.
SuttaNipata:AcollectionoflongerpoemsattributedtotheBuddha.
Vinaya:Themonasticdiscipline.
Vipassana:Insight.
Wat(Thai):Monastery.