This is translated from a talk given in July,
1978, to a group of monks and nuns, most of whom were relatively new to meditation.
Because his listeners were already familiar with the basic techniques of concentration
practice as explained in "Method 2" in Ajaan Lee's book, Keeping the
Breath in Mind, Ajaan Fuang here focuses less on technique than on the proper
attitude and understanding to bring to the practice. The style of the talk is
fairly repetitive and so works best when it is read aloud.
Our teachers have laid the basis for
our practice, setting out everything, with nothing lacking. The fact that the
developments we experience in the practice aren't complete comes from a lack
within ourselves, in our own practice. We haven't practiced enough to cut things
away. We haven't given the practice our full effort. So let's take the opportunity
today to make an effort, i.e., to fix our mindfulness -- each and every one
of us -- securely on the in-and-out breath. There's nothing much to it. Each
of us has a breath. It's a meditation theme we already have within ourselves.
We don't have to go looking for it anywhere else. And there's no need to doubt
as to whether or not it's true. So let's come and look within ourselves, observe,
investigate, ponder what's within ourselves. The Buddha knew for himself what
was true within himself; and we follow him by practicing in line with his teachings
so as to see whether what's within ourselves is true or false. So try to be
as observant as possible within yourself.
This practice is said to be akaliko -- timeless. The Buddha's teachings are
timeless. The fact that there are no developments in our practice is because
we have times. The Buddha says, "timeless." We say there are times.
Our times are more than many. Time for this, time for that, times for walking,
times for sitting, times for sleeping, times for eating, times for talking --
there are lots of them. Our life turns into nothing but times. So now let's
try practicing in a way that it becomes timeless. The truth will then appear
in our minds -- each and every one of us. Everything that's ready to develop
is already there. We don't have to get it from anywhere else. Awareness itself
-- the "knowing" in the mind -- is already there within us. So use
your mindfulness to keep the breath in mind so that what's already there will
appear clearly, continually -- and developments in the mind will appear as well.
We've got to be observant as much as possible. Use your mindfulness to keep
the breath in mind -- the breath that's already there within you, that's been
there from the day you were born up to the present. The effort lies in taking
what's already there and keeping it continuous, without break, so that it grows,
so that it's steady and constant. It'll then gain momentum. There will be strength
in the breath. Developments will appear. Our in-and-out breath will become timeless.
It will appear continuously to our awareness. This is something we have to pursue
as much as possible, do as much as possible. The more we do it, the more all
sorts of good things will appear within us. If we don't work at it, our goodness
won't develop. It'll turn into times. The opportunity to know the truth won't
appear clearly within us. The truth will stay incomplete. So we have to use
the power of our mindfulness to keep the breath in mind in a way that becomes
more and more complete. Then developments will appear within us.
The Dhamma -- our meditation theme -- is something we all have within us --
each and every one of us. It's something we're doing as we sit here. We're practicing
it, training in it. The question is how we take what's already here and make
it more complete. We have to make an effort to use our powers of observation
to acquaint ourselves with what's already there. Our teachers simply tell us,
point out the way. As for us, we have to train ourselves to use our powers of
observation within ourselves: to know in line with the truth within us. Once
we see that it's true, we look after it so that it develops -- we keep looking
after it as much as possible, and there's no two ways about it: it'll simply
have to progress.
There aren't a lot of complicated steps to all this. We simply look after what's
already there so that it can become more full and complete. It'll grow day by
day, month by month, year by year. The developments in our minds will get better
and better. It's not the case that things appear only for a moment and that's
plenty enough. That's not the case at all. Whatever appears here and now, while
we're sitting here, we have to keep looking after it continually, all day, all
night, all month, all year long. We have to keep after it continuously, without
stop. If we keep looking after it, the developments in our minds will keep developing
further along.
If things happen just once, that's not enough. It's the same as when we eat.
One mouthful of food isn't enough. We have to keep eating and eating until we're
full. The same holds true in the effort to develop good qualities, noble qualities,
within ourselves. Whether we build them through our thoughts, our words, or
our deeds, it all comes down to the one heart. We have to train our heart to
gain a sense of respite and peace. We have to train it to grow better and better,
for all good things arise from the heart. This is why we train it to be mindful,
to stay with the in-breath, the out-breath. We train it in its meditation theme
so that it will have roots, a foundation -- so that it will be steady and solid
and won't go straying off after its thoughts and concepts. We get it to gather
together solely at the in-and-out breath so as to give it respite from its Hindrances,
so that the Hindrances won't be able to come in and interfere with its goodness.
That way we'll be able to develop more goodness, to get the mind firmly established
in concentration.
This is something each person has to do for him or herself -- each and every
one of us. It's our very own personal duty. Whatever techniques actually solve
the problems of our hearts so that they can experience peace, whatever methods
work in getting the mind to stay with the body in the present -- whatever the
methods -- the important thing is that the mind stays firmly in its goodness
all day, all night, whether we're standing, walking, sitting, or lying down.
After all, we don't get much of a chance to do good, you know. It's not the
case that we'll get to do this forever. There are always obstacles ready to
get in the way. So while you've got the chance -- right now and on into the
future, as long as you've got the opportunity -- you should try to accelerate
your efforts. Keep at it. Keep at it as much as you can until the mind gains
full strength, so that it can prevent all its lower qualities, its unskillful
qualities, from getting in the way, from interfering with it, so that you'll
have the opportunity to develop your goodness in full.
The goodness that arises from our thoughts, words, and deeds is something we
all have. It's not the case that anyone without any goodness is sitting here.
The question is how we take this goodness and make it even better -- making
it better, here, means meditation, the goodness accomplished in the area of
the mind. For this, we have to make an effort to train the mind to be more solid
and steady. We have to make an effort, persevere, be resilient, put the mind
through its paces -- for who else can train the mind for us? We ourselves are
the only ones who can train our own minds. We have to draw the line to teach
ourselves. Only then will things be able to develop.
Other people can teach you only the outer skin, the rind, but as for what lies
deeper inside, only you can lay down the law for yourself. You have to draw
the line, being mindful, keeping track of what you do at all times. It's like
having a teacher following you around, in public and in private, keeping watch
over you, alerting you, telling what to do and what not to do, making sure that
you stay in line. If you don't have this sort of teacher inside you, the mind
is bound to stray off the path and get into mischief, shoplifting all over town.
That's the way it is with the mind. So we have to draw the line to keep it in
place. We can make it stay in place from morning to noon, or from noon to late
afternoon -- whatever the boundaries we set for it, we have to make it stay
in line, to make it stay in school. Like a child in a schoolroom: we give it
directions and set a goal for its work so that the results will be substantial
and solid.
We have to keep training the mind in line with the path of our practice, and
as a result it'll get gradually more familiar with the work, bit by bit. It'll
keep getting more tractable, more tame, so that it wanders off only occasionally,
only once in a long, long while. It'll rarely get lost. If we strap it down
too tightly, it may struggle to get away. So we may have to put it on a long
leash. But whether you keep it on a slack leash or a tight leash all depends
on which technique you find works for you. The strategies needed for training
the mind aren't the same for everyone. Some people really have to force the
mind, come down hard on it, go without water and food. But it all comes down
to whatever works in keeping the mind within its proper bounds.
To summarize, our practice is to keep the breath in mind. This is the path our
teacher, Ajaan Lee, set out for us while he was still alive. We practice staying
with the in-and-out breath. We focus on keeping track of the in-and-out breath.
We watch, follow, know the in-and-out breath. Stay with the breath. Don't wander
off. Observe the in-and-out breath so that it's clear, so that it's complete.
If we can maintain this, continue keeping this in mind, there's no problem --
for the breath is always there. It's already coming in, going out, all day,
all night. Whether or not we watch it, whether or not we focus on it, it's always
there by its very nature. All we have to do is maintain what's already there,
look after what's already there.
Actually, it sounds pretty easy: it's not the sort of thing you have to go borrow
from anyone else anywhere else at all. It's already there, already happening.
All you have to do is look after it, or keep it in mind. And you don't have
to invest a lot of capital. Just keep the breath in mind, gently support and
protect what's already developing there so that it becomes more complete. If
you do just this, you'll experience a sense of ease. Bodily pleasure. Mental
pleasure. The mind will experience peace.
So straighten out your views. Make them right. If your views are right, the
mind will immediately experience a sense of ease. If your views are wrong, everything
else will immediately be wrong -- for the things we're talking about are already
there, already happening. So keep your views straight in line with the breath.
You won't have to exert a lot of energy. You'll experience a sense of ease.
Your mind will immediately feel peace.
Now, how do you use your powers of observation to get acquainted with the breath?
Ask yourself: Do you know the breath yet, or not? Is the breath truly there,
or not? If you can't see whether the breath is true, look further in until it's
clearly there. There's no trick, no mystery to it. It's always true, right there.
The important thing is whether or not you're true.
Are you?
Yes.
Then that's all there is to it -- this little, tiny point. There aren't a lot
of complications. Once that awareness is true, you simply maintain it, maintain
that truth, your truth, continually. Keep it constantly in mind, and the developments
in the mind will be able to continue developing. They'll gradually grow stronger,
and the mind will grow calm. Just be clear about what you're doing. Don't have
any doubts. If you can doubt even your own breath, then there are no two ways
about it: You'll doubt everything. No matter what happens, you'll be uncertain
about it. So being true in this way is what will solve the problem of vicikiccha,
the Hindrance of uncertainty.
So reflect, ponder, investigate what's going on inside yourself, as you're sitting
here practicing, to see why the mind isn't experiencing any peace, why there's
no sense of physical or mental pleasure. Why is it? Why is the mind still restless
and distracted? Set your mind on what you're doing. Don't let yourself have
any doubts. Be straightforward and true in whatever you do, for everything comes
down to whether or not you're true.
So you have to keep using your powers of observation as much as possible. You
have to get acquainted with your own breath -- coming in, going out -- and make
it clear. Once you're clearly acquainted with it, then maintain it, keep looking
after the way it develops, keep it in mind at all times.
There's just this one little point in our practice. All I ask is that you recognize
it, that you're aware of it, for this awareness is already the basis of cognitive
skill. The trick is to make it more and more aware, more and more developed.
To be aware just once isn't enough. You have to keep becoming more and more
aware, more and more aware, until it's totally full -- your awareness is totally
full, with no lapses, no gaps. It stays steady and continuous at all times.
That's when it's called knowing in full measure.