============================================================================= * Forwarded by Barry Kapke (96:101/33) ============================================================================= From: ben@crl.go.jp (Ben Lawrence) Date: Mon, 20 Sep 93 08:47:25 JST ___________________________________________________________________ /* TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE The following is the third Dhamma talk in a meditation retreat on 11th December 1992 conducted by Venerable Mahinda, a Theravadan Malaysian monk, whilst in Malaysia. It was not meant to be transcribed and hence does not contain the full meaning as conveyed by the spoken word. The following print was transcribed from audio tape without the Venerable's permission. Any errors and misrepresentations are the sole responsibility of the transcriber. Pali spellings are most probably incorrect. Transcriber's notes are in /* */. This talk deals with right effort and right concentration 2 of the 8 links in the path to one's liberation. In all retreats conducted by the Venerable, the devotee receives personal instruction on practicing the Absorptions (Jhanas) so as to develop the mind to see the true nature of impermanence, so, to enter the Stream... The attainment of Absorptions should be, as was in Lord Buddha's time, under the instruction of one such as the Venerable. Dhamma is of a nature of ehi-passiko: come and see! */ ___________________________________________________________________ Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Samma Sambuddhassa Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Samma Sambuddhassa Namo Tassa Bhagavato Arahato Samma Sambuddhassa This evening, I will talk a little bit about mental hindrances, for it is only when you are able to overcome mental hindrances that you are able to develop the Samadhi. Without overcoming mental hindrances, it is not possible to attain to the Jhanas. There are 5 mental hindrances which by now you must become aware. Those of you who are still struggling to sit for a longer period of time, you will find that there are certain obstacles. And what are these hindrances? We talked about 5 mental hindrances: /*Pali */ punja ni virana. The first is karmachunda or sensual desire. When there is craving, sensual desire, when the sensual desire arise in the mind, it becomes a hindrance and obstructs further development of the mind. In the same manner, anger, aversion, also obstructs. Then, sloth and torpor of the mind: thien amidtha. This is something very common. The fourth one: restlessness, many thoughts, cannot control the mind. And the fifth is doubts: viccikicca. These are the 5 mental hindrances. If we want to develop our minds, we must first become aware of these hindrances and then after that, take the necessary steps to check and overcome these hindrances. That is why from the very start of your practice, we have prescribed to you the contemplation on the body: 32 parts of the body. This contemplation on the body will reduce the tendencies of craving, especially with regards to the body. Then, the practice of Metta, of loving- kindness or compassionate-love. That helps to reduce the tendency of anger. So, you must watch these defiling tendencies that arise. Although we say:"Practice this once in the morning and once at night", anytime you feel anger arising, then you should very quickly free your mind and tell yourself:"May I be free from this anger!" Because, during the course of the day in your activities, while eating, while walking, while practicing, you may get some disturbances from others. Sometimes, you are not satisfied with food, aversion can arise in the mind, becoming a bit angry. Now all this becomes a mental hindrance. That is why there are some good qualities to cultivate. You'll find in this training the qualities of simple living, which leads to contentment. You are given a very simple form of accommodation and also simple food, and it is not very expensive to maintain you, so that, you are able to develop the contentment. But if you are one who likes to nag, not satisfied with anything, everything, then you will find it very difficult to concentrate. Contentment is something that we have to learn how to develop. Also, to develop patience. We say: khunti, paramang, tupoh, tipikah. This word: khunti does not mean only patience. Many of you will think that patience is something so that you don't get angry when others abuse you. But khunti goes a little bit further: the endurance, the ability to endure certain hardships. Hunger too. The ability to endure hunger. The ability to endure hot and cold. When one has developed these qualities, these qualities become an asset and a support to your practice. Also, when you are here, you are temporarily free from duties and responsibilities, so don't take up in your mind, don't think too much. Free yourself from all the duties and responsibilities. This is how you will be able to have the free time to practice. As for the third: sloth and torpor of the mind, we need effort to overcome. It's a mental effort to overcome sloth and torpor of the mind. Usually, you observe for yourself when you normally feel drowsy: in the morning, after breakfast, after meal and perhaps at night too. You feel that kind of drowsiness which has been conditioned by sloth and torpor of the mind. There are various ways and practical methods which the Buddha has prescribed to overcome sloth and torpor. In the first instance when you are sitting and if you feel drowsy and sleepy, then don't close your eyes, just half-open your eyes. Keep your body upright so that you will have maximum air cavity and take deep breaths. If by taking these deep breaths you still cannot overcome this drowsiness, then you change your posture. So, except in group sittings where its not so good for you to walk out, when you are practicing on you own and you feel drowsy, walk. If you feel very drowsy, walk fast, to and fro, until the drowsiness goes away, then you can slower the movement of you feet. If in spite of that effort, that changing of posture, you still cannot overcome that drowsiness, then go and wash your face. And if you still cannot overcome it, then go and take some rest. Very practical. But you must be sincere. If you feel a little bit tired, drowsy, and you go and sleep... then if you sleep too much, the mind becomes very heavy and very inert, you see? So that is why in some places, those who want to practice and develop their minds, they will develop this patience and endurance. Sometimes they will keep all night vigil, that is, stay awake all night, until you know the way, until you are aware of how to overcome this sloth and torpor. After all, this sloth and torpor is just a state of your mind. When you confront it, it goes away and you mind becomes very alert again. That is how you overcome sloth and torpor. That sloth and torpor that is due to eating, over-eating: it is natural when you eat, the blood will gush to the abdomen and then you find there is less circulation in the upper part of your body, in the head especially. That's why you experience the drowsiness. When you are drowsy, you should get out of the drowsiness. Don't try to meditate, don't try to concentrate on a drowsy mind. When you concentrate on a drowsy mind, it may result in dizziness and something... because there is a lack of oxygen or circulation. So what you can do is little exercise, bending and stretching. The Hindu practice of Hartha/*sp?*/ yoga complements the practice of developing concentration. Also, it depends on what you eat. In a meditation retreat, if you have very tasty food, very oily, starchy food, then you will tend to get drowsy very easily. So those who want to practice Samadhi, you should become mindful of what you consume: not too oily, not too starchy, and some fruit so you will be light. That is how you can overcome and prevent drowsiness from arising, thien midtha from developing in your mind. Now: restlessness, udacca kukucca. Restlessness is conditioned by a number of factors. Largely, when the mind has a lot of craving and you have certain expectations: "I WANT to achieve such-and-such". When you have alot of craving and also aversion, these can condition restlessness in the mind. The other things are with regard to worries, sometimes remorse, anxiety, all condition restlessness in the mind. That is why Buddha prescribed the basis of mental culture as Sila, virtues, good qualities. Sila does not mean only the 5 precepts or the 8 precepts. Sila refers to certain restraining: restrained in body and restrained in speech, and virtues: certain wholesome qualities like reverence, humility, truthfulness, honesty. When you have these good qualities, you will find that it is easier for you to concentrate. In parallel, if these qualities are something you have not developed, then you try to develop them. Try to develop these wholesome qualities. When you have humility and reverence, your mind will be more ready to take instructions. If you have alot of pride, and a lot of views in your mind, concepts... Different people come to a retreat for different reasons... that is why some people develop very fast, some people cannot develop, some people go off the way. Some people have the strong confidence and they say they come to practice, to develop the mind and to sow the seeds of a noble way of life. For these people who have a very clear motive, a very clear aspiration: you'll find that it is this aspiration that motivates you. You don't waste time. Also, those of you have been contemplating the nature of life: old age, sickness, death... When you contemplate birth and any being born in this world subject to birth, old age and death, when you contemplate this more and more, your mind becomes mature. That mature mind will be motivated faster to practice. Of course, some of you come and say:"because some friends come, I follow them and see what meditation is about." There are some people who come just to test whether this method works or not for them and if they have doubts in their mind, they will begin to look for loop-holes. That is why they cannot see very clearly. You have to have that sincerity to practice, that clear aspiration... how do you have this clear aspiration? That is why we tell you to make your aspiration again and again. From the time of one sitting to another sitting, you make your aspiration. This aspiration will guide the direction the training will take you. There is a subtle difference between aspiration or determination, and craving. Once you have made the determination to concentrate, and focus your mind on the breath, then you leave it. You don't have the kind of craving in your mind to want to see this... want to see that...want to feel this... want to feel that... or you have in your mind:"My concentration, is it sufficient to get into Jhana? I want to get into Jhana", you try to LOOK for it. That kind of anxiety becomes a hindrance. Also when you see others able to develop, able to sit while you cannot, you get some restlessness from that. When you get those thoughts, you must know how to overcome them. Have a spirit of Mohditah! Wish those who are able to develop, wish them success! Wish them that they may progress! In so doing, your mind will have those wholesome qualities and with those qualities your mind will be able to develop. If you have the kind of mind that when you see others progressing, you are not so happy and then you are not happy with yourself. First: you are not happy with yourself, after that, you will not be happy with that person. That's what you call jealousy, envy. It is actually in the process of meditation that's what meditation is about. We say: Bhavana. Bhavana means to develop and culture the mind. It does not mean only to develop concentration. But while you are developing this concentration, you begin to see all these defilements. Slowly you take steps, you try to check these defiling tendencies. In so doing, your mind becomes very fertile, then you can sow the seeds and it will grow but you will have to be mindful and look after that. Restlessness of the mind: the Buddha says the only way to overcome your restlessness is to develop your Samadhi. That means: if the mind is of a nature to run here and there, it IS possible for you to concentrate on one object. That means the way to overcome restlessness is to keep your mind on one object. On the other hand, we mentioned that if you are drowsy, you should not force your concentration, you should first get out of that drowsiness. But if you have restlessness in the mind, then you can determine to keep your attention on one object. It goes out, you bring it back, it goes out, bring it back. That is how you overcome this restlessness in the mind. Doubts. There are various kinds of doubts. Those who come with strong faith in the Buddha, the Dhamma, the Sangha, then of course these doubts become less strong. But those who have little faith in the Buddha Dhamma Sangha, then you doubt about your practice or you doubt about your abilities. These are the various kinds of doubts. Later, as you develop your mind, more subtle doubts may arise: doubts of what you were in the past, what will you be in the future and what you are in the present. These are doubts. Doubts are a hindrance. The only way to overcome doubts is, when you have opportunity, study some theory, some wisdom. Develop wisdom and you can overcome doubts. If you take those who have the good qualities, with little views in their mind, they can practice and develop much faster. Those who are simple minded, with not so much of this intellect of thinking, thinking, with all those views in the mind... the cleverer you are, the more difficult it is for you to develop because your mind starts. But the advantage is this: if you develop your mind, you will be more useful because you have the ability to analyze clearer. Those who just follow instructions, they realize: Peace, Calm. Having not gone through various difficulties and crises, they do not have the skills to help others, understand? So don't worry! When you have certain crises, any crisis, any obstacle, confront it! Use that obstacle as a means for you to strengthen your mind. Then you will see how your mind becomes stronger. As you overcome obstacle after obstacle, your mind becomes stronger and stronger. These are how you overcome mental hindrances. Sometimes, you can use different ways and adapt certain ways to overcome them. What are the mental hindrances again? The first one is karmachundah: sensual desire. Second is vihapadda: anger or aversion. Thien midtha: sloth and torpor of the mind. Udhachakukucca: restlessness and viccikicca: doubts. How do you overcome these hindrances? By developing faculties of your mind. We talk about 5 mental faculties. What are they? We talk about sattha, sadtha: faith, confidence. Of course for a Buddhist it is faith and confidence in the Buddha Dhamma Sangha, otherwise, we interpret faith and confidence in moral spiritual values. Then viriaya: effort, energy. Satti: mindfulness. Samadhi: concentration. Punna: wisdom. These are the 5 mental faculties. With these faculties, you have the mental power to confront and overcome any obstacle or hindrance that may arise. Faith, confidence, is a very important quality, which many of you have developed to a varying extent. It is your confidence in the Buddha Dhamma Sangha that motivates you to practice. So when you have this faith, that faith conditions energy to arise. You direct this mental energy to develop right effort; the effort to prevent unwholesome thoughts arising in the mind, the effort to overcome any unwholesome thoughts that have already arisen in the mind. Make an effort! If you see at any time anger in you or some kind aversion in you, overcome that. That's how you use that effort. Then, your mindfulness will grow, Satti: the four foundations of mindfulness with regards to body, feeling, mind and mental objects. The efforts are also four. First the effort to prevent any unwholesome thought from arising, the effort to overcome any unwholesome thought that has arisen, and to maintain the good that is already there. When you have developed some concentration, you need effort to maintain it. So don't go around declaring:"Oh, now my mind is such... I have this experience and that experience..." you lose that. You must learn how to maintain your mindfulness. Acquire effort to maintain the goodness... If there are certain good qualities that are not in you, then learn how to develop them. Contentment, for example, if you don't have, learn how to be content. The simple life. That is why some of you feel very uncomfortable for the first few days. Because you have been so used to the luxuries of your own home, when you come here, you find it very difficult; your mind just doesn't want to adjust. But those who have got used to retreats: you can sleep anywhere. Put them down and they just lie down and go to sleep; they don't worry about anything, whether there are pillows or blankets... That is the sign of contentment. When you see that kind of person, you know:"Ahh, he has contentment." Whatever food he gets, he's contented. So contentment is a very great virtue; try to cultivate this, little by little, little by little. Mindfulness is another mental faculty. When mindfulness arises, concentration arises. We give you the object of meditation: breathing in and breathing out. So, don't try to establish the point first. Observe and be mindful of your breathing in and breathing out. Once you're mindful of breathing in and breathing out, your concentration develops. Then your mind becomes concentrated at that one area. Understand? So, be mindful of the breath: breathing in and breathing out. Sometimes, you'll find, your mind tends to cling to calmness and when you get some calmness, you just doze off. Its because your mind is not alert, not active. That is why the Buddha prescribed the method of watching the breath. While you are observing the breath, in and out, you are aware and your mind is alert, watching the nature of the breath. Whether the breath is long or short or fast or slow. Your mind has something to do. In that way, your mind becomes alert, sharp, clear. There is no need to note it, just be aware your breath is sometimes long and sometimes short. But, you do that from one area as you breathe in and out. As you develop your mindfulness of breathing in and breathing out, it comes more naturally. So, if you cannot observe it clearly, don't force it, go on developing your mindfulness of breathing in and breathing out. Then you become more aware. Then, that mindfulness will condition concentration. When you are mindful of the breath, you focus your attention on the breath, then as soon as other distracting thoughts arise, you bring it back again. Using effort, bring it back, again and again. Those thoughts are all the defilements in your mind, this restless mind. These are hindrances. Bring your mind back again and again to the object of the breath. That's how you begin to develop your concentration. And you observe there is a kind of a concentration beginning to build up around your upper lips and nostrils. As you develop more and more, a concentrated mind will naturally develop. You observe it as it moves in a vertical direction. If your mind is clear, if you focus your mind there, then it becomes clear. Don't allow distractions! If there is, observe it as anicca /* impermanence */ and it goes away. Bring your attention back again. That's how you condition your mind. Concentration. When you develop your concentration, you begin to see an upward movement of the mind. Now, some people see this clearly, for others it is not so clear. But they can experience the qualities of concentration, Samadhi. When we talk about samma Samadhi or right concentration, we talk about the different Jhanas: first Jhana, second Jhana, third Jhana, fourth Jhana. /* Their Pali names follow */ They constitute what you call right concentration. If you are to observe the vertical development of your mind... when you make the determination, your mind will rise and then feel a stillness, a quietness, a peace. Then you make another determination to stay there for 5 minutes and then slowly bring down your mind again. That's how you control the Samadhi. Of course, if you do not, if you are not aware, if your mindfulness is not strong, as you watch your breath you get into concentration and your mind goes on developing developing up up up and suddenly becomes equanimous. You don't feel anything. You experience calm, quietness. But because you have developed the mind in this way, without awareness, you are not able to use it. You get up there and you feel very calm and very peaceful and that's about it. That is why we don't allow the mind to develop; we control the development of this mind. After you have had several good sittings... a good sitting means you are able to focus on your breath, in and out, and keep your attention there for at least 40 minutes with no distractions... there may be a few distractions, but your mind easily comes back. You have to train and develop this foundation first. After you are able to train, you gain this concentration for longer and longer periods of time. To develop this concentration, you must make purposeful determination; each time you sit, you must have that feeling:"I will better myself, I will be able to concentrate better and I will fix my attention here for so long". Sometimes you may start with just a few minutes, 5 or 10 minutes, you can keep your mind there and then it goes out. When you observe that, you make the determination in your next sitting or in the same sitting you determine:"For the rest of the time I will keep my attention there!" That's how you condition your mind to stay there, again and again, again and again, until your mind becomes trained and tamed. Then you have control of the mind. Once you have gained the concentration and you feel now that you mind has matured to get into the Absorption or Jhana, then you take the resolution. You make the determination:"If I have sufficient concentration, then may I enter the first Absorption". It is a thought, it is a determination. This thought conditions the mind. If you have already this concentration, your mind will develop and get into a mental state, a calm and peaceful mental state. As soon as you see that calmness and stillness, you make another determination to stay there for 5 minutes. Then, after about 5 minutes, your mind begins to waver and so bring your mind down to the normal functioning mind. In this normal functioning mind, you find some grossness, some tension, but stay there for a few minutes so that you know how to distinguish the Absorption from the normal functioning mind. After you stay for 2,3 minutes, make another determination: "May I enter the first Absorption." Of course in the beginning, you ask:"What is this first Absorption?" You do not know what is this first Absorption. And if you ask me: what is this? I cannot tell you too! I have a drink here... /*************** SIDE ONE ENDS ************************/ ... its quite sweet, I say. What is the meaning of 'quite sweet' to you? You have to taste it for yourself. In the same manner, this Absorption you develop, the first Jhana, when you determine it, it goes up, you get the calmness, the peace, the stillness. Then it comes down. Then you do it again and again, 5 or 6 times. You only stay for 5 minutes at first. So in one sitting of 50 minutes, you can enter 5 or 6 times easily. Right? Now you begin to know: "Ahh when the mind enters, there is a similar pattern of events." You feel as if the mind rises and then the stillness. Sometimes, you cannot observe the movement but suddenly after a little while... still. Your mind becomes still. As you develop the stillness, the pain and tension that you have been having in the legs and other parts of the body, just begins to ease out. You are able to control now. Your body is now under control. That is how you experience it. Those who able to develop it again and again will be able to experience the qualities of this Jhana or Absorption. That is how you can check this Absorption. Because we only tell you to enter into this Jhana for 5 of 10 minutes, sometimes the qualities may not be so strongly manifested. If you can stay for 5 minutes, you later on practice again and again and then go in for 10 minutes, for 5 or 6 times, one round of 10 minutes, after that go in for 15 minutes, 3 or 4 times... then you know your mind now. Your mind can stay still in this Absorption. That's how you develop your concentration. You perfect your concentration and have the control. Then, when you are able to do that, after you are able to sit and concentrate and enter for 15 minutes, you have the control of the first Absorption, then after that time you make the determination to go into the second Absorption. Your mind goes up and comes to another plateau, another stillness... and you determine to stay there for five minutes. After that, bring your mind down to first Absorption, stay for five minutes and then to normal functioning mind for 2 to 3 minutes. and then again up to first, 5 minutes, second 5 minutes, down to first 5 minutes and down to normal functioning mind...and repeat this until you know the difference between the first and the second. In the same manner, you do this for the third and for the fourth. Once you make the break-through of entering the first and perhaps the second, you will have the strong confidence. It is in these Absorptions that you experience the calm, the peace. And what are the qualities of the Absorptions? In the first Absorption, the theory is that there are 5 Jhana factors. What are they? /* Pali follows */ Vitakka is the initial application of thought. You apply your thought. When you think to bring your attention to your breath that means you apply your thought there. It is a thought. Then after that, you sustain, you keep your attention there. That is what you call: viccara, sustained attention. You focus it in that one area and when you can stay there for some time, sukkhan arises. Pitii is a rapturous feeling, there are different degrees of Pitii. We cannot really describe it. There are many different expressions of Pitii... But, if you do not know your state of mind, then you get fear, understand? Pitii may come to you, but because you only enter for 5 minutes, it may not be so obvious. That is how we can judge whether or not you have got into Absorptions. When the Pitii arises, you feel enthusiastic in your practice, like you don't want to get up, you want to sit on, you get that kind of feeling, and your body becomes more straight, naturally. If you don't have Pitii, then after sitting half hour, you feel painful and you want to get up already. For those who want to fast... you must understand...when you start to develop Pitii, then you have the good feeling and you don't feel like eating alot. Ahh, that's the time when you can fast, you see, because now you have this concentration. You can take less food because now your mind dwells in that state of mind. Pitii conditions Sukkhan to arise. Sukkhan you may translate as happiness or bliss, but Sukkhan is the ease that you feel. The pain and the tension in various parts of your body become eased out. That means that you feel very at-ease, understand? Its not a kind of elation or anything. If you can sit for longer period of time and no pain, and you can maintain that, then you have got into Absorptions but you do not know it. So we'll tell you how to develop little by little, making that aspiration, be aware until you can get in and out, in and out of the Absorptions. When we talk about concentration, we talk about the different levels of concentration: first, second, third and fourth Absorption and these four constitute right concentration. Beyond this four, there are four others: arupha, and some speak of another: the ninth one. But these other four are just conditioned by a thought whilst in the fourth Jhana. The basis are the four Jhanas. That is why we develop up to the four Jhanas. When concentration arises, you condition wisdom to arise, Panna. Because your mind is concentrated, it is steady and you can turn it to develop insight, wisdom. Wisdom with regards to what? Wisdom with regards to the true nature of your mind and body. If you can see change, anicca, that takes place in the body... if you sincerely contemplate the 32 parts of the body... we have a quite few people who have done that and are able to see the changes that take place. Once you are able to see the change, that impermanent aspect of the body, that means you have developed sufficiently to see anicca. Once you are able to see anicca, then you are able to see the qualities of anicca: dukkha, unsatisfactoriness and anatta, non-self. There is no real substance! You go on developing the five mental faculties, what are they? First you must have the confidence, the confidence in the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, confidence that you have enough virtues to develop your mind. Then you go on. You have energy in your mind which you direct to develop mindfulness. Where there's mindfulness, concentration arises. When concentration arises, wisdom begins to arise. That's how these mental faculties develop. They are called faculties in the sense that your mind has the ability to develop them, understand? Your mind has the potentiality of developing these phenomena, hence you say mental faculties. When you develop these mental faculties and your mind becomes stronger, you can confront and at least temporarily suppress the 5 mental hindrances. The hindrance with regards to sensual desire, to anger, to sloth and torpor, to restlessness and doubts. When these 5 mental hindrances are at least temporarily suppressed, then the Jhana factors arise. The 5 Jhana factors: you be able to apply your mind, initial application, you will be able to sustain your mind there for longer period, and at one point, and if you do these things Pitii and Sukkhan are the results, the rapturous feeling and the ease that you experience. As you go on, developing higher levels of concentration, then these Jhana factors become reduced more and more. As you go into second Absorption, you don't have to purposefully apply and sustain your thought, its already there. Those people who use some aids, some assistance to concentrate on the breath, sometimes they use counting or verbalization... as you verbalize you create a habit in your mind. If you create a habit of verbalization in your mind and you cling on to that, what happens is you are constantly looking for the breath, in and out, in and out. When you breath becomes subtle, you cannot let go of it. That is why you remain in a gross state of mind. When you develop, you should let go, then you allow the mind to concentrate naturally. When you now cannot feel the breath, let go but keep your attention there. Sometimes the breath will return, you just observe it there. But if its not there, just keep your attention focused there. That's how you develop concentration around that point. Your mind becomes more and more subtle, more concentrated. This is the way we develop concentration by developing these qualities. Whatever you do now will be an asset to your future practice. So don't give up! Strengthen your mind and overcome those hindrances. Once you overcome those hindrances, it will much easier when you go back home. But there are a lot of hindrances at home too! That is why the Buddha said if you want to develop your mind, seriously, then you should go to some quiet places. /*Pali follows*/ As you develop and your mind becomes more concentrated, you don't want to talk much. But to develop that Samadhi, you must purposefully talk less, maintain Noble Silence. If you talk, you activate your mind. What is speech? Activity of the mind. Even though you don't express it in sound, your mind still talks to you. There's an in- built radio: complaining about this and that. Its only by controlling this that you begin to hear the sound in your mind. That also you must silence; that's how you will able to develop concentration. So, step by step, step by step... The path that the Buddha has realized is a very clear path... Dhamma. The nature of Dhamma is that it is well-expounded: svakkhato. Svakkhato is 'well-expounded'. It expounds, you can understand it and when you practice it, sanditthiko: you experience it by yourself. You know it for yourself! Akaliko: its timeless. There is no time, there is no time when you cannot practice. Some people say that in certain periods of your life, you cannot come to a retreat and so on, but you can practice anytime. And when you practice, you see the results. You sit, focus the attention on the breath, you experience the calmness and quietness in your mind. That's the result. Opanayiko: there is progress, you feel the progress, step by step you make progress. Paccattam veditabbo vinnuhi: to be realized by the wise. Ahh, those who have some wisdom, this path becomes clear, they can appreciate this path more. When you realize you become wise. These are the qualities of Dhamma. So, make effort, determine to make progress! /* What follows are details particular to this retreat and not relevant to the main theme. */ ============================================================================= --- GoldED 2.41+/#1067 * Origin: BODY DHARMA * Berkeley CA 510/836-4717 * DharmaNet (96:101/33)