Posts

Think about the Buddha and his quest for awakening. His teachers taught him the dimension of nothingness and the dimension of neither perception or non-perception — very refined attainments. But he had a clear idea of where he wanted to go. He wanted the deathless.

"Again, think about the Buddha and his quest for awakening. His teachers taught him the dimension of nothingness and the dimension of neither perception or non-perception — very refined attainments. But he had a clear idea of where he wanted to go. He wanted the deathless, and he could see that neither of these were deathless. When he saw that these weren’t what he wanted, he moved on. If he hadn’t been clear about his goal, he might have been waylaid. After all, they offered him the position of teacher, but he didn’t want to teach unless he had something that was really of value to teach, something outside of the ordinary. So he was clear about his intention, and as a result he was able to succeed in the path. That’s how he got to the point where he didn’t have to be anybody and didn’t have to go anywhere. But you get to that point by being somebody and going someplace. So as long as you’re on the path, remember that this is a path, it’s not a place to lie down. If you lie down o
Post a Comment
Read more

When you get down to the four noble truths — and that’s the third knowledge of the Buddha’s awakening — “beings” and “worlds” disappear. These truths are expressed just in terms of suffering and the acts of the mind that lead to suffering.

"This is what the Buddha’s awakening knowledge is. It’s a solvent, a universal solvent that can dissolve all the worlds, all the universes, all the stories we’ve been involved in. When you get down to the four noble truths — and that’s the third knowledge of the Buddha’s awakening — “beings” and “worlds” disappear. These truths are expressed just in terms of suffering and the acts of the mind that lead to suffering — in other words, the things that you experience directly inside that nobody else can experience. Each of us has to experience these things on our own: the suffering, the actions inside that lead to suffering, and also the qualities we can develop that can take us beyond suffering. There are no stories there. When you’re really with the breath, there’s no story there. You might make a little story about how, “Last night, I meditated really well. I stayed with the breath.” But if you were to give a really detailed story of your meditation, well, the breath came in. Then
Post a Comment
Read more

So even though it’s listed as a painful practice, contemplation of the body can be gladdening because it’s liberating. The gladness of liberation is the best form of gladness there is.

"One of the forest ajaans who’s reputed to be an arahant said that when he was able to get past his attraction to the human body, he could see the auras of people. So when you think thoughts of the unattractiveness of the body, don’t think that you’re cutting off an avenue to pleasure. You’re opening up the mind to possibilities that you may not have thought of. So even though it’s listed as a painful practice, contemplation of the body can be gladdening because it’s liberating. The gladness of liberation is the best form of gladness there is." ~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "Ugly Body, Happy Mind" (Meditations12)
Post a Comment
Read more

Some people think that the idea of a totally independent source of happiness is selfish, or a way of running away from the real world, but it’s not. How can it be selfish when you’re in a position that allows everything you do to be an act of giving?

"Some people think that the idea of a totally independent source of happiness is selfish, or a way of running away from the real world, but it’s not. How can it be selfish when you’re in a position that allows everything you do to be an act of giving? What exactly is it running away from? It’s running away from your old feeding habits, your old dependencies, which are not only unstable for you but can also be oppressive for others in ways that you might not think, but they’re there. Just the fact that we have this body depends on food, clothing, shelter, and medicine — and where do those things come from? How many people are happily involved in the process that brings us food, happily involved in the process that brings us clothing, shelter, and medicine? There may be some people who are happy to do it, but a lot of people are doing it through pain and suffering. That’s why we chant that reflection every evening, to remind us of this fact. So that’s what you’re running away from.
Post a Comment
Read more

Make sure you set a good example by solving your own problem. That’s why we’re focused right here, because this is where the problem gets solved.

"We have the example of the Buddha. That’s made a huge impact on the world, showing people that it is possible to get out. And we are getting out . We’re not just deciding that we’re going to stay here and be in the present moment and accept that as our goal. The goal is to get out. This is a place where we can’t live. One of the Buddha’s common images is of a house on fire. Everything in the present is on fire, being destroyed. All these fabrications that we’re creating can’t be a place to stay. Because as soon as we do them — and they are things that we do — as soon as we do them, they’re not going to just stay there. They ignite and disappear. You have to keep doing them again and again and again. You did it yesterday and today you have to do it again and tomorrow you have to do it again. One moment to moment to moment, you have to keep at it. Even with the concentration you have to keep doing it. You can’t just settle in and say, “Okay, I’ll relax.” It’s relatively restful c
Post a Comment
Read more

Any well-being short of the Deathless is unstable, it's going to be a cause for suffering

"And even in the relative comfort we have here, when you actually gain a taste of the Deathless, you realize that ordinary sensory experience is extremely painful compared to what the Deathless is. So even the pleasures we have here have pain built into them. We use those three perceptions to remind ourselves of that, so that we don’t get complacent, say, “Well, what I’ve got is good enough as it is.” You look around. It’s unstable, whatever well-being you have that’s short of the Deathless. And because it’s unstable, it’s going to be a cause for suffering. So why identify with it? There must be something better. That’s the discontent with skillful qualities. So our teacher is the Anti-slacker or what you may call an Unslacker. If we want to do well on the path he laid out, we have to be anti-slackers and unslackers as well. Because our suffering is our problem. No matter how much someone else may tell us it’s no big deal, we know for ourselves that it is a problem.
Post a Comment
Read more

If you focus on the issue of suffering, a lot of things are brought right there together. Because right where there’s feeling there’s also attention and intention, perception — particularly intention. And when these issues are solved, everything important gets solved as well.

"The Buddha started and ended his teaching with the issue of how to put an end to suffering, and it’s easy to agree with him that this is an important issue to address. Some people, though, wonder if that’s all he addresses. Just put an end to suffering? What else is there? Aren’t there bigger issues in life? Actually, it was a part of the Buddha’s genius to realize that if you put an end to suffering, you learn a lot of other things about the mind. If you focus on the issue of suffering, a lot of things are brought right there together. Because right where there’s feeling there’s also attention and intention, perception — particularly intention. And when these issues are solved, everything important gets solved as well." ~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu "The Choice Not to Suffer"
Post a Comment
Read more