Reading the Natural Mind

by Ajahn Chah | 1978 | 6,770 words

An informal talk given to a group of newly ordained monks after the evening chanting, middle of the Rains Retreat, 1978...

Part 1 - The Wisdom Of Everyday Experience

So its here that our practice of contemplation will lead us to understanding. Let us take an example, the example of a fisherman pulling in his net with a big fish in it. How do you think he feels about pulling it in? If hes afraid that the fish will escape, hell be rushed and start to struggle with the net, grabbing and tugging at it. Before he knows it, the big fish has escaped -- he was trying too hard.

In the olden days they would talk like this. They taught that we should do it gradually, carefully gathering it in without losing it. This is how it is in our practice; we gradually feel our way with it, carefully gathering it in without losing it. Sometimes it happens that we dont feel like doing it. Maybe we dont want to look or maybe we dont want to know, but we keep on with it. We continue feeling for it. This is practice: if we feel like doing it, we do it, and if we dont feel like doing it, we do it just the same. We just keep doing it.

If we are enthusiastic about our practice, the power of our faith will give energy to what we are doing. But at this stage we are still without wisdom. Even though we are very energetic, we will not derive much benefit from our practice. We may continue with it for a long time and a feeling will arise that arent going to find the Way. We may feel that we cannot find peace and tranquillity, or that we arent sufficiently equipped to do the practice. Or maybe we feel that this Way just isnt possible anymore. So we give up!

At this point we must be very, very careful. We must use great patience and endurance. Its just like pulling in the big fish -- we gradually feel our way with it. We carefully pull it in. The struggle wont be too difficult, so without stopping we continue pulling it in. Eventually, after some time, the fish becomes tired and stops fighting and were able to catch it easily. Usually this is how it happens, we practice gradually gathering it together.

Its in this manner that we do our contemplation. If we dont have any particular knowledge or learning in the theoretical aspects of the Teachings, we contemplate according to our everyday experience. We use the knowledge which we already have, the knowledge derived from our everyday experience. This kind of knowledge is natural to the mind. Actually, whether we study about it or not, we have the reality of the mind right here already. The mind is the mind whether we have learned about it or not. This is why we say that whether the Buddha is born in the world or not, everything is the way it is. Everything already exists according to its own nature. This natural condition doesnt change, nor does it go anywhere. It just is that way. This is called the Sacca Dhamma. However, if we dont understand about this Sacca Dhamma, we wont be able to recognize it.

So we practice contemplation in this way. If we arent particularly skilled in scripture, we take the mind itself to study and read. Continually we contemplate (lit. talk with ourselves) and understanding regarding the nature of the mind will gradually arise. We dont have to force anything.

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