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So sutta 16, Cetokhila Sutta, The Wilderness In the Heart.
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Thus have I heard, on one occasion the Blessed One was living
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at Savatthi, in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's park.
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There he addressed the bhikkhus thus: "Bhikkhus".
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"Venerable sir" they replied.
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The Blessed One said this: "bhikkhus,
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that any bhikkhu who has not abandoned
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5 wildernesses in the heart and not severed
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5 shackles in the heart should come to
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growth, increase and fulfillment
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in this Dhamma and Discipline - that is impossible.
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What, bhikkhus are the five wildernesses
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in the heart that he has not abandoned?
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Here a bhikkhu is doubtful, uncertain,
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undecided and unconfident about the
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Teacher, and thus his mind does not incline
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to ardour, devotion, perseverance and
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striving. As his mind does not incline to
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ardour, devotion, perseverance and striving,
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that is the first wilderness in the heart
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that he has not abandoned."
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So that means the first one is they don't have
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the faith, confidence in the Buddha. The teacher,
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that's the Buddha so they have no faith.
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It's important we have the faith but it has to come
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from the right understanding. For example, someone
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have doubt whether the Buddha is a special being..
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Lots of people are saying it's impossible to get
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enlightened so we better practice to be born in a
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better place or a heavenly realm. So people say
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that, some Buddhists say that! They find it's
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impossible to become enlightened.
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So they have doubt - whether this is beyond me,
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whether the Buddha exists. They have doubt whether
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the Buddha is an ordinary being and whether they can
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get enlightened. So when you have doubt you will not
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be inspired and you wil not arouse that energy to
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practice, isn't it? Because you have doubts.
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For example, something that you have no faith.
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Yes? [question from audiece]
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This is they have the confidence and faith in the
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Buddha. We have no faith, but this faith come from
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the right understanding. For example, some people
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may have lots of faith in the Buddha and they think
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the Buddha.. they pray to Buddha,
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they pray very hard
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and they believe in the Buddha, they have a very strong faith.
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But it doesn't come from the right understanding, that is from
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the wrong view. Maybe some people think if they have
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faith in the Buddha so maybe their life, everything,
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will go well for them. And then some have difficulties in their life
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so they say it's not working - I have faith
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in the Buddha, I pray so hard - and some misfortune still
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happens to me. So this is not come from right
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understanding and the mind will not incline harder.
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Ardour means you have that inspiration, which gives
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rise to determination. That is the energy, the noble
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energy, not the kind of energy that you want to do
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something you want to get something.
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Later the Buddha will explain that
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in terms of the Iddhipada.
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This is the noble power. So for example,
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someone have this wrong view of the Buddha so they
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take Buddha as a God. So they have very strong faith
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in the Buddha but that is not from the right view,
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not from the right understanding, that is wrong view.
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So then if you don't have the faith, and you have doubt,
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and you're not confident that you'll be able to
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put into practice, then you will not strive.
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We will not persevere, isn't it? Will not. Because,
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"I'm not really sure that the Buddha he himself got enlightened"
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Then you will not arouse that energy to do the practice,
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to put forth effort into the practice.
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So this is what is meant by no faith.
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Sometimes if you arouse faith, then you put forth effort.
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Sometimes it's not necessary that you start with
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the Buddha - that you have faith in the Buddha
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and then you have faith in the Dhamma.
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Sometimes it can be the other way around.
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Now the second one, the Buddha said:
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"Again a Bhikkhu is doubtful, uncertain, undecided
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and unconfident about the Dhamma...
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As his mind does not incline to ardour, perseverance,
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striving, devotion... that is the second wilderness in
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the heart that he has not abandoned"
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You have doubt about the Dhamma, that's the Buddhist teaching,
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the truth. The Dhamma always refers to the law of kamma.
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So if someone has doubt, "I don't believe there is
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rebirth", this law of kamma, whatever we do has no consequence.
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So you will not really strive, to really
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put forth effort to really live a skillful life.
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So you will not have that inspiration.
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For example, someone come across to the
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Buddhist teaching and they say oh yeah it's
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very inspiring, who said that?
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Oh yeah, it's the Buddha.
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Because they have the faith in the Dhamma,
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the teaching, then they have the faith in the Buddha.
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So it can be the other way around.
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Because you listen to the Dhamma and you
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feel so inspired. All of you come here and listen to
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the suttas and feel inspired and then you
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put forth effort to do the practice.
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This is the second wilderness in the heart.
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A wilderness in the heart means a barrier,
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like a stump. Some translate Cetokhila as a stump.
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It stop you from growing further, because if
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you have this in the heart it will stop you from
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going further. So if you don't have the faith,
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and no confidence in the Buddha and no confidence
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in the Dhamma, it will stop you because you
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will not put forth effort, you will not strive.
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You will not persevere to keep going because
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you have doubt. If you have that it is really a stumbling
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block, a barrier stopping us going further.
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That is the second wilderness in the heart the Buddha mentioned.
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"So again a Bhikkhu is doubtful, uncertain,
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undecided and unconfident about the Sangha.
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As his mind does not incline to ardour,
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devotion, perseverance, and striving
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that is the third wilderness in the heart
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that he has not abandoned."
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So for example, some people they come across
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to monks or nuns and they find them very inspiring.
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The way they conduct themself, they are full
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of loving kindness, and they feel that when
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they be with this person they become
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very peaceful and very calm and they feel very inspiring.
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Then they will start to put forth.. oh I would like to..
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have someone right in front of them that
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have this very peaceful and calm, and actually
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Bhikkhu Bodhi is one of the very good example.
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When he was about 10, the first monk he
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met, a Vietnamese monk. And the first time he met he was very young
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and was really struck by the tranquility
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of this monk, very peaceful and very calm,
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the serenity, and it give him a very strong
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impact on his mind - he say "oh wow,
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I have never seen a being like that before, a man
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so calm and so peaceful".
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This really had a strong impact on his mind.
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And as all of you know, even this Majjhima
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Nikaya, Bhikkhu Nanamoli and Bhikkhu Bodhi
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translate these suttas. So actually he actually
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see a monk on the street, he didn't even know this
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monk walking on the street, and he was so inspired
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by how this monk is so peaceful and so calm.
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And he was inspired and later he became a monk.
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So sangha means those who listen to the
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Buddhist teaching and put into practice to get
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enlightened.
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If you have the faith, the confidence in the Sangha
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then you have the confidence in the teaching
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and then you have the confidence in the Buddha, the teacher.
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So it's not necessary to come from the Buddha
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the Dhamma the Sangha. You can come from meeting some monks or nuns
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in your life that really inspire you and you then start to practice.
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Then you can go from the sangha to the dhamma and the Buddha.
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So maybe from the Buddha-Dhamma to the Sangha or to the Buddha
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So it's not necessary that you have to go
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according to the sequence Buddha Dhamma Sangha.
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"So again a Bhikkhu is doubtful, uncertain,
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undecided and unconfident about the training.
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As his mind does not incline to ardour,
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perseverance, devotion and striving
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that is the fourth wilderness in the heart
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that he has not abandoned."
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The training is not only the training rules,
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for example, when the Buddha speaks to the monks
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it not only refers to the training rules, the
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patimoka, the vinya rules. It's only part of the sila.
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So actually it's actually refers to the
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whole path of practice, the Noble Eightfold Path.
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That is you have to have the sila, samadhi
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and panya. That is morality. So morality is the
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foundation of a peaceful mind, the cultivation
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of the mind. So the samadhi is not only sitting
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in meditation.. To have the cultivation of the mind
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the samadhi group needs to have three -
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the mindfulness, stillness, calmness and effort.
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The effort always refers to the four right efforts
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because mindfulness itself is not enough.
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You're just knowing, just mindful. So for exampe, you have unwholesome
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thoughts arising, so anger, it's an unwholesome
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state of mind and you're aware of that.
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But because you haven't cultivated the calmness,
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the stillness, you won't be able to hold yourself
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and each time you think - I should have held myself!
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I shouldn't do that again! We do that again because
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you don't have the stillness, the calmness
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to hold the mind. So actually it's not easy to
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have the unreactive awareness so you need to have
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the calmness, the stillness, the concentration to be
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able to hold the mind and not react.
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Also you need to put forth effort, that is the four
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right effort to stop the mind, to have a break.
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To stop the mind from going further, to stop
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the mind to avoid the unwholesome states of mind
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like anger, greediness, you know you stop that, avoid that.
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but if it's already arisen then you
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abandon this unwholesome state of mind
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abandon, for example, ill-will or anger.
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then you replace by a thought of loving kindness,
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a wholesome thought.
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then you maintain that, then this unwholesome
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state of mind will not arise.
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This is the four right efforts.
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This three together, this mindfullness, stillness
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and right effort,
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if these three, they intertwine together they
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become very powerful and solid.
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If you have only mindfulness it snaps very easily
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because it's not strong it's not powerful enough,
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it's not solid.
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But only with concentrations, some people try
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very hard concentration but without the mindfulness.
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They just focus. I remember someone told me when we were in the monastery.
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and someone stay in the monastery and some of the food
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goes off and this person say, "I didn't know
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that the food was already off, because I just focus
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on chewing chewing chewing chewing."
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So I mean it's not very good, just the focus itself.
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So not knowing they're not even aware what is that.
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It's not wrong that we know the taste whether
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it's sour or sweet. You're mindful of what you're eating.
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It's not just the chewing itself.
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Sometimes it become blur, no awareness,
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not bright the mind, you know, just chewing chewing chewing
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and then the food rotten they don't even know, they just swallow it.
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You know when an unwholesome state arises you know
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that if you react to that emotion it's going to
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lead us to suffering. It causes harm to others
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and to ourself. We know the danger of that.
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We're aware of that.
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And then you'll be able to put forth effort and
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also you have the awareness and stillness and
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calmness to hold yourself.
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Your mind is strong enough to hold.
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Of course it's not easy to avoid this and avoid that
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But sometimes again and again lots of people
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find themselves that they shouldn't have done that
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but they still couldn't hold, couldn't bite back
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their tongue and not say something.
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So you do need that, you know, the cultivation
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of the mind is not only mindfulness, it's
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not only stillness, it's effort. These three
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have to come together. Of course this has to be
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supported by sila (morality). So morality is important,
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it's the foundation for a peaceful mind.
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Because if you're not, so because, if you have
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done something that you know, causes harm to others
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and to ourself too, isn't it, if you have done
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something you feel is not quite right.
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And your mind you feel go on and on and on.
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It's very difficult to be peaceful, it's just natural.
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It's just like the Buddha said, it's natural.
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You live a virtuous life, you expect that leads to
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gladness when you're virtuous person.
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It's natural that you have the gladness.
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When you do something good you feel good
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about yourself. That is natural the Buddha, said,
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whether you want it or not.
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It happens by itself, it's natural, it naturally leads
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you to that direction. So when you have the gladnes
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then you have the peace, joy, you have the energy.
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So when you have the joy you have the energy.
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Then you have this happiness. That's why it's always
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that happiness comes first. Before the stillness.
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So you have the joy, the tranquility, then you have
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the happiness, then your mind still. Why?
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When you're happy then you're content, you don't go anywhere.
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You're just happy to be there, you're just happy in this moment.
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Why some people run away from this moment? Because they're not happy.
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Usually people are restless because they're unhappy.
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When someone is unhappy they're restless, the mind always wonder off.
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So that's why it's important, the happiness. If you want to cultivate
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a peaceful mind to develop the wisdom, happiness
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actually is the pre-requisite.
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This Buddhist path is actually a happy path.
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You need to have the happiness first, to come first,
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then only you'll be able to focus. Only through the still mind
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where the insight arises from when the five
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hindrances abandoned - then you have clarity of mind
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then you can see things as they really are.
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You see one thing leading to another.
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And it happens by itself. It's not through willpower,
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it's not through trying to control. You can't make it happen, it happens by itself.
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So the morality is the foundation for a peaceful mind.
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A peaceful mind is the foundation for development
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of this wisdom. So the whole training the whole path
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is referred to the Noble Eightfold Path,
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that is the sila-sammadhi-panya, this whole path of practice
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So if you have no confidence
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have no faith in this training, the Noble Eightfold Path,
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you will not strive, isn't it, you will not persevere
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You will not arouse energy to do the practice, you won't.
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That's why it says this is the fourth wilderness in the heart.
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So if we have this wilderness in the heart, that is
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a barrier, it stops us from going further to have
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growth in the Dhamma.
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So again the Buddha goes down to the fifth wilderness in the heart.
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"Again a bhikkku is angry and displeased with
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his companions in the holy life life, resentful,
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callous towards them, and thus his mind does not
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incline to ardour, devotion, perseverance and striving.
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As his mind does not incline to ardour, devotion
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perseverance and striving, that is the fifth
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wilderness in the heart that he has not abandoned."
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So if someone constantly has lots of ill-will, anger
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towards the companion in the holy life, it's just like
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for example if in the family you have lots of anger
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towards you partner, you know, or maybe in your place
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with your colleagues, constantly you have lots of ill-will,
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you will not arouse that inspiration because your
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mind is disturbed and you're obsessed with that.
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Each time you come back because normally when we
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have lots of anger, very easily you get depressed.
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So when you depressed, the energy is really low.
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Just imagine constantly your mind is obsessed with that,
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you think you will have energy to practice?
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To arouse energy? No, you can't because the mind
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constantly you go back, thinking about, at home
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this person said that, that person said that,
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and that is really a stumbling block.
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It really stops us from going further because we always
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think that the problem is outside, but actually it's not.
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The anger arises within our own mind, sometimes we think the
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person made me angry, the person is the one who,
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they are the one, they make me angry because of them
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my suffering comes from the other person.
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Yesterday I mentioned about one of the ladies
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just recently she told me that when she was really
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stressed out she planned
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she said she really had the planning to kill her boss.
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She do all the planning because
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at that moment she thinks that her suffering comes from the boss.
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The boss gives her too much work, and she worked till midnight
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and the next morning she still takes work back home to work
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till 3am. And she go back to work again and to
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a point that she's completely stressed out.
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She said she became depressed, lots of anger, she depressed.
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She planned to kill [laugh] her. And then she
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planned after killing her boss she would jump down
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from the.. because she was working in Singapore
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which has lots of high-rise buildings, so she
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planned she'd jump down from the building, she said,
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this is what she planned. And when she told her
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sister, her sister said, "you're crazy",
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you just change your job [laughs], why do you want to kill your boss?
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But at that moment you don't.. we get stuck you know
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because our mind, once our mind thinks that object
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is a problem, so we get sucked in.
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All we think is how bad is that person is.
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Again and again, we get lost. Sometimes it's just amazing
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some people commit suicide because of small thing,
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because you focus on that, it manifest, and then you
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become unbearable, you think that is your problem.
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So your mind is there, because of anger you will not be
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able to live harmoniously with your companion in the
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holy life or your partner, because you have lots
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of anger, you're not at ease and at peace
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and that is really draining, you have no energy, you
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cannot strive, you have no energy to practice because
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it's really draining, especially with this unwholesome
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state of mind. Your mind go in there.
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That's why, if you can see the problem comes
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from ourself then we can ask ourself, do I have
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thoughts of loving kindness towards that person?
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So if we can't, at least we can wish ourself,
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that at least I have no ill-will towards that person,
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that at least we take away, have a break from
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going on and on. Because once we go in we're sucked in.
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And then we just get lost. So when you have that you can't
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arouse the energy at all, no energy, so that's why
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sometimes, it goes on and on, and it disturbs the mind.
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So that is the anger.
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So actually in the other suttas the Buddha did
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mention how to deal with this unwholesome state of mind.
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Especially the anger.
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Which sutta.. Actually the Buddha did mention...
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In one of the suttas the Buddha did mention that there
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is five steps to stop the mind. I think that is the
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Vitakkasanthana Sutta - The Removal of Distracting Thoughts.
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The Buddha did mention how when we have these
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unwholesome thoughts, for example you have this
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anger, ill-will, towards someone. So you feel like
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"I'm going to strangle him!"
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It's really angry. So the Buddha said then you have to
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replace with a thought of loving kidness.
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So after doing that, the Buddha said that's the first step
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and if that doesn't work and you still want to
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strangle that person then you come to the second step.
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Then you reflect on the danger of that.
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You know, the danger if you react and go on and on
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then you do something that will hurt yourself and others.
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So you reflect on the danger of that.
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Then after doing that, you still very angry, you
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still want to strangle that person, so the Buddha said
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you go to the third step, that is you try to remove yourself
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Not to pay attention on that. If you can physically
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remove yourself then it's good. That is the best way.
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But if you can't then you try to not pay attention to that.
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Maybe pay attention to other things.
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Or not to focus on that. So Buddha said that is the
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third step. So after doing that, you still want to strangle
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that person so you have to come to the fourth step really.
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The fourth one is when you pacify the thought,
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that is you use something like, you keep telling yourself
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"calm down, calm down" because when you put your
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attention to the noting, to the words,
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like "calm calm calm", then your attention
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is not on the person, isn't it?
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Then on the words like "calm calm calm "
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Or "make peace, make peace, make peace"
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So then it's a break, then you will not go further.
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Then after that, after the fourth step, you still want to strange the person!
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So there is no more. The fifth one is the last step the Buddha said.
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So you really have to clench your teeth.
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You have to suppress yourself to not do that.
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Because you're going to strangle someone!
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This one you do it with awareness, it's not that you're
-
not knowing, you're knowing that if you go
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further then you will do something that causes lots
-
of harm to yourself and to others.
-
Because you're going to harm someone, then you have
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to suppress. But of course after doing the fourth step
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that is the last one. But if you always do that
-
when anger come up, you just suppress, then it's no good.
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Then you become mental habitual pattern that you're suppressing all the time.
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When you suppress all the time, this will explode.
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Usually if you follow instruction by the time you
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go to fourth step your anger will subside quite a bit
-
after you try the first step not working, you try the second
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the third, the fourth. Come to the fourth pretty much your
-
anger will subside quite a bit. So in the other suttas
-
the Buddha did mention.. but I just gave you the gist
-
of that. You can read the suttas about that.
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That's why it's important if you have lots of anger
-
that really stop as from striving, to arouse
-
the energy because it's draining, you have no energy.
-
So that is the fifth wilderness in the heart the Buddha
-
said that stops us from having growth in the Dhamma to fulfillment.
-
Then the Buddha said:
-
"These are five wildernesses in the heart
-
that he has not abandoned."
-
Now the Buddha went on to say,
-
"What bhikkhus, are the five shackles in the heart
-
that he has not severed? Here a bhikkhu is
-
not free from lust, desire, affection, thirst,
-
fever, craving for sensual pleasures, and thus
-
his mind does not incline to ardour,
-
devotion, perseverance and striving.
-
As his mind does not incline to ardour, devotion,
-
perseverance and striving, that is the
-
first shackle in the heart that he has not severed."
-
So that is we're craving the sensory pleasure, that is the senses, we're attached to that.
-
So then the shackles mean that we're bound by that
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so we cannot escape. That is the one that tie us down,
-
the sensory pleasure.
-
So for example, if our mind is constantly thinking about getting
-
good food, you know, all your energy is going to there
-
actually this energy is going out.
-
This kind of energy, of course, the Buddha never
-
denied happiness from the senses. We do have happiness.
-
But that kind of happiness is not the wholesome
-
happiness. This is unwholesome happiness.
-
This kind of happiness leads us to more suffering.
-
It won't lead us to peace.
-
Only the happiness within. The Buddha always encourage us
-
to persue the happiness within ourself.
-
Only that happiness within ourself, it leads to peace and calm.
-
Because this kind of happiness is going out,
-
it won't lead us to peace, to calm.
-
For example, you listen to a Dhamma and you're inspired
-
you have lots of joy after listening to the teaching.
-
Because this does not rely on the senses, this is within ourself
-
so it's not dependent on the senses but is independent,
-
so within yourself. So normally with the inspiration,
-
with the joy, that leads you to, you have the energy.
-
Joy is one of the factors of enlightenment, that
-
leads you to peace and happiness, and
-
then development of the wisdom.
-
Once again if we persue that kind of happiness
-
from the senses then we will be bound by that
-
then we will not have growth in the Dharmma.
-
We won't have fulfillment, we will not have progress in our practice.
-
So this is the first shackle that the Buddha mentions.
-
"Then again, a bhikkhu is not free from lust, desire,
-
affection, thirst, fever and craving for the body,
-
...as his mind does not inline to ardour,
-
devotion, perseverance and striving, that is the
-
second shackle in the heart that he has not severed."
-
That is, we're attached to the body.
-
So we're attached to this body, we think that, you know, we have this..
-
For example, myself, when I was young,
-
when I was in my twenties, I was very attached to my
-
appearance, you know.. I like to go to beaty salon,
-
I spent hours there. I even take to my eyebrow [laughs].
-
So I was thinking, I don't have to do it every day,
-
you save the problem [laughing].
-
This is the attachment to the body and then use lots of energy
-
by thinking, spending lots of time doing that.
-
So if you spend time there you will not arouse that energy
-
to strive, to practice, isn't it?
-
You will not persevere. You don't have the inspiration, you know?
-
It's just the craving, because we're attached to this body so much
-
attached to our appearence, we want people to praise us,
-
"oh you look nice", we're attached to that because
-
it gives us a sense of self, who we are.
-
So we're attached to our self, to our own body the Buddha said.
-
Then this is also we're bound by that
-
If we have that, if we haven't severed this one, the attachment
-
to the body, then we're bound by that
-
then we will not have growth in the Dhamma, we will not have progress
-
in the Dhamma. Then the Buddha continued:
-
"A bhikkhu is not free from lust, desire, affection, thirst, fever and craving for form..
-
As his mind does not incline to ardour, perseverance,
-
devotion and striving, that is the third shackle in the heart
-
that he has not severed."
-
This is more attachment to the form, form is actually referred to
-
attachment to other people or the things that we want
-
like we're craving for a new car, we craving for material things,
-
so we strive to get that, so that is not the right striving
-
this is the wrong effort.
-
Sometimes we strive very hard to get what we want, we strive
-
to get the material things, we strive to have all those enjoyments,
-
indulging the sensory pleasure.
-
So this type of striving, not to strive to get things.
-
Actually the striving is to stop.
-
So it's very difficult to stop isn't it?
-
So we strive to stop, and not strive to get things.
-
So we crave for things, material things, that is the third
-
shackle that the Buddha mentioned in the heart.
-
Then, "...that he has not severed", so this is the third shackle.
-
Then "Again, a bhikkhu eats as much as he likes until his belly
-
is full and indulges in the pleasures of sleeping, lolling and drowsing
-
and his mind does not incline to ardour, perseverance, devotion
-
and striving, that is the fourth shackle in the heart
-
that he has not severed."
-
Sometimes people like the pleasure of drowsiness,
-
you're just drowsy, you know, because,
-
this is one of the way that some people use, as a way because
-
it's unskillful, to face the pain in their life or the emotion,
-
the negative emotion, so they try to run away
-
by using, sometimes people, some people when they're
-
depressed they sleep a lot.
-
And this is one of the ways to escape, running away from
-
dealing, looking at our pain, our problem.
-
I remember when I was in Thailand so the place where we stayed,
-
is the women's section, the kutis there [???]
-
and one of the ladies there, she told me
-
how she have lots of fear, she was really terrified.
-
Initially she was quite okay, until one day because we had someone pass away
-
they cremate in the monastery and for Thai custom they
-
have the ceremony of washing the hands before they cremate
-
so she looked at the dead body, the face, [???], and then next day
-
with the cremation, and after a few days the family came and
-
collected the ashes and put into the wall.
-
And actually the wall is just a wall of the area where we stay
-
and her kuti was quite close to the wall.
-
After that she couldn't sleep. She was really terrified. Lots of fear.
-
And so one of the way she helped herself deal with her
-
fear, you know what she did?
-
She shut herself off.
-
She went to bed at 7, she wake up at 7.
-
Her mind totally shut off. She said because she can't deal with that.
-
This is how we sometimes like to sleep, you know, so we don't have
-
to look at the pain. That's why sometimes we take
-
alcohol or drugs because it's too painful, they can't deal with that.
-
So it's unskillful, so they use it as a way to run away from the
-
pain, the problem they have to face. Because it's painful.
-
It's not easy. They use this as a way to escape.
-
That's why it's enjoy sleeping, enjoy with the drowsiness,
-
because when you're drowsy you're not awake so you will not think of your problem anymore.
-
So this is one of the way.
-
So if you always do that, we're bound by that,
-
we will not have growth in the Dhamma,
-
we will not progress in our practice.
-
So the Buddha says, "this is the fourth shackle in the heart
-
that he has not severed.
-
Again, a bhikkhu leads the holy life aspiring to
-
some order of gods thus: "by this virtue or observance or asceticism
-
or holy life I shall become a great god or some lesser god."
-
and thus his mind does not incline to ardour, devotion,
-
perseverance and striving. As his mind does not incline to
-
ardour, devotion, perseverance and striving, this is the
-
fifth shackle in the heart that he has not severed.
-
These are the five shackles in the heart that he has not severed", the Buddha says.
-
So the fifth one is sometimes people pray to the god and they thought
-
they do all this practice, and they want to be born into the heavenly realm,
-
they don't want to be, they have no interest. So you still want
-
to exist, they're still craving to exist, in a heavenly realm.
-
So if you have that, then you're still bound by that.
-
One of my friends, many years ago, my Dhamma friend, she said to me that
-
she doesn't want to attain nibbana, that she wanted to be a god. [laughs]
-
She want to be born in a heavenly realm, she said.
-
Her main purpose of offering lots of danas,
-
doing all the Dhamma work, for her, her intention is to be born in heaven.
-
She told me, she say, I'm interested in, I only want to be
-
reborn in heaven so for her this is her intention, so she's bound by that.
-
She still want to come back. She still wants to exist.
-
When we want to be then we come back again and again.
-
So we're bound by that. So no escape. Then we will not have any
-
progress in the practice, or it's impossible that we have fulfillment in the
-
Dhamma and the discipline.
-
So "these are the five shackles in the heart that he has not severed."
-
So "bhikhus, let any bhikkhu...", so basically this explain all the sutta and now
-
this is the repeat, so I'll read the repeat
-
"bhkikkus that any bhikkhu who has abandoned the five wildernesses in the heart
-
and severed five shackles in the heart should come
-
to growth, increase and fulfillment in this Dhamma and Discipline
-
that is possible. What bhikkhus are the five wildernessses in the heart
-
that he has abandoned? Here a bhikkhu is not doubtful, uncertain, undecided
-
or unconfident about the teacher and thus his mind incline to ardour, devotion,
-
perseverance and striving. As his mind inclines to ardour, devotion,
-
perseverance and striving, the first wilderness in
-
the heart has been abandoned by him.
-
And then again, a bhikkhu is not doubtful, uncertain, undecided or unconfident about the Dhamma...
-
As his mind inclines to ardour, perseverance, striving, devotion,
-
the second wilderness in the heart has been abandoned by him.
-
Again, a bhikkhu is not doubtful, uncertain, undecided or unconfident about the Sangha.
-
As his mind inclines to ardour, devotion,
-
perseverance, striving, the third wilderness in the heart has been
-
abandoned by him. Again, a bikkhu is not doubtful, uncertain,
-
undecided, or unconfident about the training, and his mind inclines
-
to ardour, perseverance, devotion, striving, this fourth wilderness
-
in the heart has been abadoned by him.
-
Again, a bhikkhu is not angry and displeased with his companions in the holy life,
-
nor resentful and callous towards then, and thus his mind inclines to ardour, devotion,
-
perseverance and striving. As his mind inclines to ardour, devotion,
-
perseverance and striving this fifth wilderness in the heart
-
has been abandoned by him.
-
So these are the five wilderness in the heart that he has abandoned.
-
So, what bhikkhus are the five shackles in the heart that he has severed?
-
Here a bhikkhu is free from lust, desire, affection, thirst, fever and
-
craving for sensual pleasure and thus his mind inclines to ardour, devotion,
-
perseverance and striving. As his mind inclines to ardour, devotion,
-
perseverance and striving, this first shackle
-
in the heart has been severed by him.
-
Again, a bhikkhu is free from lust, desire, affection, thirst, fever and craving for the body.
-
As his mind inclines to ardour, devotion, perseverance, striving,
-
this second shackle in the heart has been severed by him.
-
Again, a bhikkhu is free from lust, desires, affection, thirst, fever
-
and craving for form... As his mind inclines to ardour, perseverance, devotions,
-
striving, this third shackle in the heart has been severed by him.
-
Again, a bhikkhu does not eat as much as he likes until his belly is full and
-
does not indulge in the pleasure of sleeping, lolling and drowsing
-
as his mind inclines to ardour, perseverance, devotion, striving
-
this fourth shackle in the heart has been severed by him.
-
Again, a bhikkhu does not live the holy life
-
aspiring to some order of gods thus, "by this virtue or observance or asceticm
-
or holy life I shall become great god, or some lesser god,
-
and thus his mind inclines to ardour, devotion, perseverance and striving.
-
As his mind inclines to ardour, devotion, perseverance and striving,
-
this fifth shackle in the heart has been severed by him.
-
These are the five shackles in the heart that he has severed.
-
So bhikkhus, that any bhikkhu who has abandoned these five wildernesses in
-
the heart and severed these five shackles in the heart should come to growth, increase
-
and fulfilment in this Dhamma and Disciple - that is possible.
-
So he develops the basis of spiritual power
-
consisting of concentration due to zeal and determined striving.
-
He develops the basis of spiritual power consisting of
-
concentration due to energy and determined striving.
-
He develops the basis of spiritual power consisting in
-
concentration due to purity of mind and determined striving.
-
He develops the basis of spiritual power consisting of concentration
-
due to investigation and determined striving.
-
And enthusiasm is the fifth"
-
So that is the Buddha saying about the iddhipada, that is the
-
four roots to success, the four roots to power.
-
This is the the Nyanatiloka explanation of this iddhipada,
-
iddhi means power, a magical power, and sometimes they translate
-
as this heroic power, because for example,
-
we're inspired and we arouse that energy.
-
The iddhipada roots to power consist of four qualities,
-
these four qualities indicate the root to power connected with
-
form by way of preparations, the root to the power constituting
-
the fruits of the path, namely concentration of intention.
-
Then you have this intention, accompanied by effort of view.
-
That's why sometimes when we start we have to have a little
-
bit of view, good view, accompanied by the effort of view.
-
We have this determination, so we have this
-
view to do the practice. That is what it means by "chanda-sammadhi",
-
Like for us for example, for the bhikkhu and bhikkhunis if we're not
-
not be able to attend the, for example, we have sangha-kamma,
-
we will send our consent - please my consent of
-
whatever you discuss, or I give my chanda.
-
They also translate as concentration of intention accompanied by effort of view.
-
So concentrations of energy, the virya-sammadhi, so the sammadhi based
-
on this energy that is a kind of heroic energy.
-
So the concentrations based on the chita-sammadhi, that is
-
the concentrations of consciousness,
-
and the concentration of investigation accompanied by
-
effort of view. So this is the iddhipada, so you've got to have
-
the desire. Someone went to Ananda, ask, you know, you've got to have the desires
-
to do the practice. So you've got to the have desires to abandon the desires
-
that lead us to rebirth. So it's not all desires that are no good.
-
Lots of people think that arahant is like a vegetable-person,
-
they have no feelings, no desires, so if you have no desires
-
you will not eat, you will starve to death,
-
if you have no desires you can't go to the toilet.
-
So it's not all desires that have the results, desires to do the practice.
-
So when you have the desires you start to arouse the energy
-
for example you have the desire to come here to listen,
-
to come here for this sutta class.
-
So you have these desires, isn't it? To listen to the dhamma.
-
Then you arouse the energy, this is the noble energy, noble power,
-
it's related to the fruits, to the path, it relates to the freedom,
-
it's the wholesome energy, it's not those kinds of energy
-
that we arouse to get something or to try to hurt someone,
-
that kind of energy is unwholesome but this is the wholesome.
-
We arouse the energy, you've got to arouse the energy to put forth
-
effort to come here. Then you have to apply the mind.
-
Oh yes, this is what I'm going to do - come here.
-
Then you investigate, you have to plan how to come here, isn't it?
-
This is the iddhipada, four roots to power.
-
So the Buddha said, "and the last one enthusiasm."
-
We have to have the enthusiasm, then we will be able to continue,
-
to have the perseverance.
-
It's important because we have been wondering in the samsara
-
countless lifetimes. That's why sometimes when we read the suttas
-
there is the Buddha giving the teaching to his monk, his discipline,
-
and no long time and they become an arahant.
-
And we say wow it's so easy.
-
So maybe for the Buddha twenty, thirty, years may be no long time.
-
Actually if you compare to the countless lifetimes
-
that we're in samsara, actually twenty, thirty years is no long time. [laughs]
-
So that's why you need to have the enthusiasm to keep going.
-
So sometimes you think were getting nowhere, have no progress
-
and then we put off, not to continue to practice.
-
It's a lifetime practice. You keep practicing.
-
So we need to have the enthusiasm to keep practising and this is the fifth.
-
So, "A bhikkhu who thus possesses the fifteen factors including enthusiasm is
-
capable of breaking out, capable of enlightenment, capable of attaining
-
the supreme security from bondage.
-
Suppose there were a hen with eight, ten, twelve eggs,
-
which she has covered, incubated and nurtured properly.
-
Even though she did not wish, 'ohhh that my chicks may pierce
-
their shells with the points of their claws and beaks and
-
hatch out safely.' Yet, the chicks are capable of piercing
-
their shells with the points of their claws and their beaks
-
and hatching out safely. So too a bhikkhu who thus possesses
-
fifteen factors including enthusiasm, is capable of
-
breaking off, capable of enlightenment,
-
capable of attaining supreme security from bondage."
-
This is, like, the Buddha gives the simile of the hen sitting on the eggs,
-
it's just like the practice. If you sit long enough, whether you want it or not,
-
whether you want to get enlightened or not,
-
it's going to happen.
-
You don't have to wish - may I get enlightened.
-
No, if you follow the teaching of the Buddha, you follow the instructions,
-
you forth put into practice, that is the result of that.
-
So the Buddha's teaching of non-self, we can't make it happen,
-
it happens by itself. So the hens don't have to wish - may my eggs hatch -
-
they'll hatch by itself whether you want it or not.
-
So whether you want to get enlightened or not,
-
you will get enlightened. So if you are following the path,
-
and if you're on the path, it's just a matter of time.
-
You just keep practicing.
-
"That is what the blessed one said. The bhikkhus were satisfied
-
and delighted in the blessed one's words."
-
So this is the end of the sutta.
-
Any questions or comments?
-
Yes
-
Man from audince: Out of these five shackles,
-
is there any one more important or let's say supreme?
-
Venerable Hasapanna: actually it's not one, or which one, is important,
-
it's just that some people have particular, or more strong with this.
-
That's why it's important when we read the suttas we know
-
for ourself, this is our weak point.
-
Maybe, we are, some people more attached to attached to the body - this
-
is your problem, or this is my problem.
-
So you put more effort. This is the area you need to work with.
-
Because different people have different attachments.
-
Different defilements. Like sometimes this is a problem to someone
-
then it's not a problem to another person.
-
This is why it's important when we read these suttas
-
that we check what are the areas we need to improve.
-
So does that answer your question?
-
Yeah.. so the Buddha said as long as you have these shackles you are bound by that.
-
Some people might not have the.. maybe the fifth one is not strong.
-
They totally do not, never want to become reborn in
-
the heavenly realm. But maybe sometimes people like to
-
sleep a lot. Then this is something we need to work with.
-
Then we have to look at which areas we always have problem with.
-
Then this area we have to work with, you know, to improve.
-
Man from audience: from that sutra we can see that
-
the attempt is welcome to conquer those attachments,
-
inferior attachments, by attachment to the practice, the Dhamma.
-
So is there any step in development of practice where you have
-
to conquer attachment to knowledge and to the practice itself?
-
Is there any such state, such level where you have to renounce
-
even attachment to the practice, the knowledge?
-
Hasapanna: Can you repeat again, I can't really get...
-
Man: So to conquer basic attachments, which Buddha talks here.
-
Hasapanna: what attachment you mean?
-
Man: those five shackles..
-
Hasapanna: okay okay, yeah yeah
-
Man: so we have to cultivate attachment to the practice,
-
to the knowledge, and with the help of that attachment we overcome
-
inferior attachments
-
Hasapanna: Yes that's why the Buddha says..
-
Man: Is there any further if someone is practising successfully
-
and he is making good progress, is there such situation
-
where the practitioner has to renounce even attachment
-
to the practice and to the knowledge to get to the ultimate liberation.
-
Hasapanna: Oh this I understand.
-
So yeah, someone asked me the same question, about how at the beginning
-
you still have that because we cannot just say let go, let go, you know.
-
So sometimes we're attached to the wholesome things
-
rather than attached to the unwholesome things.
-
So then we let go of the coarser happiness, the lesser happiness,
-
for the greater happiness. It's just like a stair, a ladder we climb up.
-
So we let go of that. So of course we still attach to wholesome.
-
Because we're not enlightened yet. Unless we're enlightened,
-
you still have sense of self, you still have attachment to sense of self.
-
But you can tell the difference, for example, after you have practised,
-
your sense of self become more fluid. You still have the sense of self,
-
you're still attached to yourself, but at least you
-
can see that you're happier, you're more relaxed.
-
You can see, you know if someone happens to take up the path of practice,
-
to them the sense of self is so solid, so concrete,
-
whatever unwholesome state they just impulsively react
-
and create more suffering for themselves.
-
But you know for yourself, for example, some situations
-
that in the past cause you lots of suffering, but now you're more relaxed,
-
and more at ease - that is the progress.
-
The Buddha said this is the gradual training, this will not
-
happen overnight. Of course we cannot say let go, let go,
-
lots of people try to do that, letting go.
-
You can't do the letting go, the letting go happens by itself.
-
So you just little by little, that's why it's the gradual training
-
for example we have to let go of the, like renounce, for example.
-
Why did the Buddha emphasise generosity, sila you know, sammadhi and panya?
-
Because generosity helps us to let go.
-
For example we give away the material things, that is the coarser,
-
coarser level, the things outside us, the material things.
-
Then we practice that. Then we can renounce, we can let go of that.
-
So when we can let go of that.. If we can't let go of the material things
-
we can't let go of the more subtle defilements, isn't it?
-
This is how it's the gradual training.
-
We let go of that then after we'll be able to do that,
-
then we practise letting go of the coarser,
-
then we come to more subtle ones, then we let go of our
-
defilements like greed, hatred and delusion.
-
So you cannot stop it immediately, because if you can use willpower
-
to stop it immediately then the Buddhist teaching
-
of non-self is not the truth.
-
It's just like for example, you have this defilment. When you react
-
to the defilement it's just like you kicking the wheel when you react.
-
So when you kick, when you react, your defilements reinforce your defilements, isn't it?
-
Your defilements become greater.
-
So when you don't react, doesn't mean your defilements go away immediately.
-
It's still there.
-
So that means you're not kicking the wheel.
-
But the wheel is still spinning, but the energy becomes slower.
-
This is how to practice. Each time the defilements kick out,
-
we do not react to the defilements. Doesn't mean we don't have defilements.
-
The defilements still there. But the energy becomes weaker.
-
So the more we do that, each time, then it becomes weaker, weaker, weaker
-
and it stops by itself. If you leave the wheel by itself it spins, spins, spins,
-
if you stop kicking it, it stops by itself, isn't it?
-
You don't have to do anything.
-
This is why the Buddha said about the hen sitting on the eggs.
-
So eventually they sow(?). Lots of people think you cannot set, abandon...
-
no it's the gradual training because we've been conditioned countless lifetimes.
-
Habitual pattern is very ingrained. So we have to retrain the mind,
-
direct the mind to the wholesome. Of course we're still attached to the wholesome.
-
So eventually, when we go beyond wholesome and unwholesome, we don't even attach
-
to wholesome, that is the enlightenment, that is the goal, that is the nibbana.
-
Of course we still have attachments, just what you said, because
-
we cannot just let go immediately.
-
It's the gradual training. Does this answer your question, make sense to you?
-
Any more questions, comments? Yes?
-
Aha, aha
-
The wisdom arises when the mind is still.
-
Because when you have these five hindrances
-
it clouds the mind.
-
When your mind is cloudy it's very simple, you don't have to have
-
reached the state of absorption.
-
For example sometimes we are confused and you really stress out
-
and you can't think of a way to solve your problem. So when you walk away,
-
you put it aside, and you make your mind as peaceful as possible,
-
then ah, I think how to solve the problem!
-
Because you don't have the clarity, so when you're confused,
-
don't try to make any decisions when you're confused.
-
You have to make your mind as peaceful as possible, your mind as peaceful as possible,
-
and very calm. When you're calm, you can think, isn't it? You have the clarity.
-
That is where when you have abandoned the five hindrances the mind is clear.
-
It's just like the moon is so bright, the mind is very bright, without the clouds.
-
But with the five hindrances, it covers the moon, and it's not bright.
-
The mind, that is where your wisdom arises, through abandoning
-
the five hindrances. When you have a peaceful mind, the wisdom arises,
-
the insight arises. Does that answer your question?
-
Any more questions?
-
Okay, so we finish, then we pay respect to the Buddha