This is the fourth day of this April 2024 seven day sesshin. And I'm going to read today from a book edited by Jack Kornfield, called Living Dharma. Subtitle is Teachings and Meditation Instructions from 12 Theravada Masters. And the master will be reading from his friend of ours, Ajahn Chah.
The introduction to this section as a little bit about John Cha, and let me read it. He was born into a large and comfortable family in a rural village in the LAO area of Northeast Thailand. He ordained as a novice in early youth, and on reaching the age of 20, took higher ordination as a Bhiku bhikkhu is a monk. Beyond the fourth grade education standard in the village schools, he studied some basic Dharma and scriptures as a young monk. Later he practiced meditation under the guidance of several of the local forest teachers in the LAO speaking, ascetic tradition. He walked for a number of years in the style of an ascetic monk, sleeping under the forest trees, and spending short but enlightening, a short but enlightening period, without John moon, one of the most famous and powerful Thai Lao meditation masters of this century. This book, although it was published, the copy I have and I think 2010 was originally published and therefore must have been written in about 1977. So this is when John Chow was still alive.
After many years of travel and practice, he returned to settle in a thick Forest Grove near the village of his birth. This Grove was uninhabited, known as a place of cobras, tigers, and ghosts, and as he said, the perfect location for a forest monk. Around John Cha large monastery formed as more and more monks, nuns, and laypeople came to hear his teaching and stay on with him. Now, this would be in 77, I guess. There are disciples teaching in more than 30 Mountain and forest branch temples throughout Northeast Thailand. On entering what Bob Pong name of his place, think what is the Thai word for temple on entering one is apt first to encounter monks, drawing water from a well and a sign on the path that says, You there, be quiet or trying to meditate? Although there is group meditation and chanting twice a day, and usually an evening talk by John Cha, the heart of the meditation is the way of life. Monks work sewing robes and sweeping the forest paths and live extremely simply. Monks here follow the ascetic precepts, limiting meals to one a day, and limiting their number of possessions, robes and living places. A lot of this goes right back to the time of the Buddha. When the Vinaya was developed the rules for monks they live in individual cottages spread throughout the forest, and practice their walking meditation on cleared paths under the trees. Many of his Western disciples now choose to live in a huge new forest preserve monastery with scattered cottages built into caves in the hillside. Perhaps that gets you away from the Tigers Cobras. The simple regimen of the forest monastery provides a setting for the development of wisdom John Shaw stresses that each person has his natural pace, and that we should not worry about the length of our path or destination. Simply stick to the present moment, he advises, and eventually the mind will reach its natural balance where practice is automatic stick to the present moment don't reject it. Don't look past it for something more
he must have been comparing notes with Sheng yen. He rarely speaks of attaining any special state of mind or states of concentration and enlightenment. Instead, when questioned on this topic, he will ask the question or if he has fully let go of all attachment, and is totally free from suffering. With the usual reply have not yet He will direct him to simply continue his practice of watching the mind and not clinging even to deep insights or enlightenment experiences. Only continue this not clinging from moment to moment
it's just keep going. Just faith in the practice. really doing the practice bringing the mind back taming the Ox.
Daily life in the monastery becomes as much the focus of practice as the formal sitting and walking, washing robes cleaning spittoons sweeping the hall collecting morning ALMS are all meditation. And as John Chow reminds us in cleaning a toilet don't feel you're doing it as a favor for anyone else. There is dharma there to meditation means mindfulness. Or we could say awareness in whatever we do. Sometimes the lifestyle seems strict and harsh. And the struggle to find comfort and security becomes a great lesson in the meditation
This is quoting John Cha. When you get angry or feel sorry for yourself. It is a great opportunity to understand the mind. Same for us here in sesshin. People sometimes wonder why did I sign up for this? Sometimes that can be a panic inducing thought. They go no with thoughts like that. Obviously I'm not going to get anywhere. Be surprised how common those are. Certainly I had my share. I still have moments when it's that Oh shit. Things aren't always the way we want them to be. That's a lesson there is actually life. For constantly thinking, is this good enough? Am I good enough? Are other people doing? We're not doing the practice is all we have to do.
He goes on this by the way, this introduction was written by Jack Kornfield. In surrendering to in surrendering to the rules that create a harmonious community. We see clearly how desires and images we hold conflict with his flow. The strict discipline helps us cut away at the ego needs for outward display of individuality. John Shaw does not emphasize any special meditation techniques, nor does he encouraged Craske crash courses to attain Quick Insights and enlightenment. In formal sitting, one may watch the breath until the mind is still and then continue practice by observing the flow of the Mind Body process. So this is their practice, different from some of the practices we do in Zen, but very similar.
Working on a koan, of course. If your goal is to see into it, you could say to have some insight. There's nothing wrong with it being quick. But it's not something to hold on to. It's not anything that you can package up and take with you.
Says live simply be natural, and watch the mind are the keys to his practice, patience is stressed. As a new monk in his monastery, I became frustrated by the difficulties of practice, and the seeming arbitrary rules of conduct I had to follow. I began to criticize other monks for sloppy practice, and doubt the wisdom of John childs teaching. At one point, I went to him and complained, noting that even he was inconsistent and seemed to be contradicting himself often in an unenlightened way. Okay, Jack, he laughed and pointed out how much I was suffering by trying to judge the others around me that he explained that in fact, His teaching was just a balance. It is as though I see people walking down a road I know well, I look up and see someone about to fall in a ditch on the right hand side of the road, or get off on a side track on the right. So I call out to him go left, go left. Similarly, if I see someone about to go off on a sidetrack to the left, or to fall off the left hand into the left hand ditch, I call out go right go right. All of practice is simply developing a balance of mind not clinging on selfishness. Not clinging but unselfishness.
sitting in meditation, or working in our daily activities, are all part of practice, and watching patiently allows the unfolding of wisdom and peace in a natural way. This is our John Charles path. John Chow welcomes Westerners and more than two dozen have lived and studied with him often for many months or years. Wisdom is a way of living and being in John chai is preserved. The special simple lifestyle of the monks is organized by the Buddha for learning Dharma today.
And this is followed now by notes from a session of questions and answers. So these are questions we don't know from whom, probably the monks practicing or laymen practicing with, with our John Cha, and then his answer. So the first one, I'm trying very hard in my practice, but I don't seem to be getting anywhere. Answer, this is very important. Don't try to get anywhere. Don't try to get anywhere in the practice. The very desire to be free or to be enlightened will be the desire that prevents your freedom. You can try as hard as you wish. Practice ardently day and night. But if it is still with the desire to achieve in mind, you will never find peace. The energy from this desire will be cause for doubt and restlessness. No matter how long or hard you practice, wisdom will not arise from desire. So simply let go. Watch the mind. Watch the mind and body mindfully. But don't try to achieve anything. Don't cling even to the practice or to enlightenment. say just give yourself completely to the practice for its own sake.
Who are we to make demands? So much of spiritual practice is surrender and willingness. When in the back of the mind, there's a transaction I'll do that but then I want to get this that it doesn't work. We wonder let the mind empty, empty of thoughts empty of grasping, clinging aversion.
The next question are asks, What about sleep? How much should I sleep? And John Shaw says, Don't ask me. I can't tell you how Good average for some is four hours a night. What is important though, is that you watch and know yourself. If you try to go with too little sleep, the body will feel uncomfortable, and awareness will be difficult to sustain. Too much sleep leads to $1 restless mind, find the natural balance for yourself. It's interesting when he says too much sleep leads to a dull a restless mind. A lot of people are err to this side, sleep more than they need to. Because they're afraid, I'll be exhausted, I won't be able to concentrate. And it's true. If you don't get enough sleep, it's going to be an obstacle. But it's A cian. We need less sleep than we do in our normal lives. And so you have to experiment you have to be willing to experiment, maybe take a little risk. Sit up later than you're used to see if it's a problem or not. Learn by trying. Other people have a rigid routine that includes very little sleep, and sometimes they're just dragged out. If you do get if you do get too tired, there's always at some point a rest period where you can refuel it as sesshin goes on. And as the mind settles and thoughts are no longer bombarding us. We have more energy, our sleep needs change.
John Shaw says find the natural balance for yourself. Carefully watch the mind and body and keep track of sleep needs until you find the optimum if you wake up, and then roll over for a snooze, this is defilement establish mindfulness as soon as you open your eyes
how many people when they wake up, immediately plunge into the thought stream? For not careful if we don't make that effort? That's what happens.
Right as you wake, find the practice. questioner asks, How about eating? How much should I eat? And John Chow says eating is the same as sleeping. You must know yourself. Food must be consumed to meet bodily needs. Look at your food as medicine. Are you eating so much that you only feel sleepy after metta? Only sleepy after the meal? And are you getting fatter every day, stop. Examine your own mind and body, there is no need to fast. Instead experiment with the amount of food you take. Find the natural balance for your body. Put all your food together in your bowl following the ascetic practice. So this is something interesting that they do. It's like if we took everything that was served at dinner, including I guess the salad and mixed it all up in a bowl and then ate it is kind of an ascetic practice. Not something that we do. He said but the advantage he says then you can easily judge the amount you take. Watch yourself carefully as you eat, know yourself. The essence of our practice is just this. There's nothing special you must do. Only watch Examine yourself. Watch the mind, then you will know what the natural balance is for your practice. Are the minds of Asians and Western Westerners different? Then he says basically there is no difference. Our customs and language may appear different, but the human mind has natural characteristics that are the same for all people. greed and hatred are the same and an Eastern mind or a western mind. Suffering and the sense cessation of suffering are the same for all people.
Is it advisable to read a lot or study the Scriptures as part of practice. The Dharma of the Buddha is not found in books. If you want to really see for yourself what the Buddha was talking about. You don't need to bother with books. Watch your own mind. Mind examined to see how Feelings come and go, how thoughts come and go. Don't be attached to anything. Just be mindful of whatever there is to see. This is the way to the truths of the Buddha. Be natural. Everything you do in your life here is a chance to practice. If you are emptying a spittoon, or cleaning a toilet, don't feel you're doing it as a favor for anyone else. There is dharma and emptying spittoons. Don't feel you're practicing only when sitting still cross legged. Some of you have complained that there's not enough time to meditate. Is there enough time to breathe? This is your meditation, mindfulness naturalists in whatever you do. wareness in the moment?
The questioner asks, Why don't we have daily interviews with the teacher? He says you have questions. If you have questions, you're welcome to come and ask them any time. But we don't need daily interviews here. If I answer your every little question, you will never understand the process or doubt in your own mind. It is essential that you learn to examine yourself to interview yourself. Listen carefully to the lectures every few days, then use this teaching to compare with your own practice. Is it the same as a different? Why do you have doubts? Who is it that doubts? Only through self examination? Can you understand? So this is different than what we do? Here have the opportunity to come to dog sign if you wish. Or to continue sitting. It's really up to the student. One way or another it's good to have some contact with the teacher with others.
The schedule of sesshin is somewhat more intense in terms of sitting than it sounds like what's done in his monastery. Although I'm sure there are people there sitting a tremendous amount
but as he says you're welcome to come and ask any time.
Question What can I do about doubts. Some days I'm plagued with doubts about the practice or my own progress or the teacher. And he says doubting is natural. Everyone starts out with doubts, you can learn a great deal from them. What is important is that you don't identify with your doubts. That is don't get caught up in them. This will spin your mind in endless circles. Instead, watch the whole process of doubting and wondering, see who it is that doubts. See how doubts come and go, then you will no longer be victimized by your doubts, you will step outside of them and your mind will be quiet. You can see how all things come and go. Just let go of what you are attached to let go of your doubts and simply watch. This is how to end doubting
we all have a tendency to make the same mistakes over and over and over again. It does help to step back and observe what's happening. For so wrapped up in wanting things to be a certain way, all we get out of a tough patch is that oh no. Please end please. And there's room for a little reflection
take a breath
questioner says what about other methods of practice? These days there seem to be so many teachers and so many different systems of meditation that is confusing. And he says it is like going into town. One can approach from the north from the southeast for many roads. Often these systems just differ outwardly. Whether you walk one way or another fast or slow If you're mindful, it is all the same. There is one essential point that all good practice must eventually come to that is not clinging. In the end all meditation systems must be let go of, and also one cannot cling to the teacher. If a system leads to relinquishment to not clinging, then it is correct practice. You may wish to travel to visit other teachers and try other systems, some of you have done so, already. This is a natural desire, you will find out that 1000 questions asked and knowledge of many systems will not bring you to the truth. Eventually you will get bored. You will see that only by stopping and examining your own mind. Can you find out what the Buddha talked about? No need to go searching outside yourself. Eventually you must return to face your own true nature. Here is where you can understand the Dharma we do get easily bored want something new? New shiny trinket.
Boredom is just another condition. And often it can actually be a fruitful one if we sit with it. See what's there? People abandon their koan when it seems doll go off into thoughts. This is a mistake. If we're not tied up by the desire for things to be different, we can give us we can look into it. We can be with it becomes even the boredom itself becomes interesting. There's a theater director, Andre Gregory. He's one of the two main characters in the movie My Dinner With Andre if anybody has seen that interesting guy does experimental theater. Sometimes we'll rehearse the same play for a year doing the same script again and again and again. So he has something to say about boredom. He says for me, boredom suggests that there's a shark swimming under the water that wants to come to the surface, and that you're resisting that big shark because you don't know what it is. And you're scared of the unknown. But boring can be very, very interesting. If you just have the courage to hang in there.
questioner says a lot of times it seems that many monks here are not practicing. They look sloppy or unmindful. This disturbs me. It is not proper to watch other people. This will not help your practice. If you are annoyed, watch the annoyance in your own mind. If others discipline is as bad or they are not good monks, this is not for you to judge. You will not discover wisdom watching others. Monks discipline is a tool to use for your own meditation. It's not a weapon to use to criticize or find fault. No one can do your practice for you. Nor can you do practice for anyone else. Just be mindful of your own doings. This is the way to practice clean your own side of the street especially when one is beginning in practice we look around see things that don't seem right and off we go. No need
don't look at the other guy. Look at yourself
questioner says I have been extremely careful to practice sense restraint. I always keep my eyes lowered and a mindful of every little action I do when eating for example, I take a long time and try to see each touch chewing, tasting, swallowing etc. I take each step very deliberately and carefully. Am I practicing properly? And John And this is something that evidently they do. And John Shaw says sensory straight restraint is proper practice. We should be mindful of it throughout the day. But don't overdo it. Walk and eat and act naturally. And then develop natural mindfulness of what is going on with yourself. Don't force your meditation or force yourself into awkward patterns. This is another form of craving, be patient, patience and endurance are necessary. If you act naturally in our mindful wisdom will come naturally to there are many different ways in Zen practice of doing keening. Some, some centers where the Kenyan is very, very slow. Each step is only a foot length long and one breath. And then there are others, mostly Rinzai centers where Kenya is extremely fast. It's hard not to break into a run if you want to keep up. I'm very have a real preference for the way we do Kenya in here. It's a natural pace. We do we we just walk naturally, when you go around the corner, you go around Naturally, there are some centers where you make a right angle, you walk straight, and then you pivot and walk in the new direction. And these are ways of keeping the mind concentrated. It's not that there's no reason for them. But there's something to be said, for just being natural. You can practice and no one can know that you're practicing. Don't have to stand out in any special way. When I was new to practice, I used to wish that people could see how I was practicing. Before I ever met Roshi Kapleau, I stood in a crowd at the bus stop downtown in Rochester to go out to where his place was at the time, farther down East Avenue than it is now. And I was counting my breasts, which I learned by reading the three pillars of Zen. And I just thought boy, if people could see what I'm doing I was so special.
Question Is it necessary to sit for very long stretches, says no sitting for hours on end is not necessary. Some people think that the longer you can sit the Wiser you must be. I've seen chickens sit on their nests for days on end. Wisdom comes from being mindful in all postures. Your practice should begin as soon as you awaken in the morning. It should continue until you fall asleep. Don't be concerned about how long you can sit. What is important is only that you keep a watchful eye, whether you are working or sitting or going to the bathroom. We understand this what's important is awareness. Practice can be carried throughout the day. We need to do it though we need to, we need to develop the habit. You need to get out of the habit of getting up from the mat, going off to meals or wherever and just letting the mind run riot. We can learn to stay aware, everything will progress naturally. So on pace, find ourselves making progress somehow. John Shaw says Each person has his own natural pace. Some of you will die at age 50, some at age 65 and some at age 90. So two your practices will not be identical. Don't think or worry about this. Try to be mindful and let things take their natural course. Then your mind will become quieter and quieter in any surroundings. It will become still like a clear forest pool that all kinds of wonderful and rare animals will come to drink at the pool. You will see clearly the nature of all things in the world. You will see many wonderful and strange things come and go. But you will be still problems will arise and you will see through them immediately. This is the happiness of the Buddha
you us to be still body still minds still
awake
questioner asks, I still have many thoughts. My mind wanders a lot even though I am trying to be mindful. And he says, Don't worry about this. Try to keep your mind in the present whatever there is that arises in the mind, just watch it, let go of it. Don't even wish to be rid of thoughts, then the mind will reach its natural state. Know discriminating between good and bad, hot and cold fast and slow. No me and no you know self at all. Just what there is. When you walk on alms rounds, that is going around and begging for food. No need to do anything special. Simply walk and see what there is. No need to cling to isolation or seclusion. Wherever you are, know yourself by being natural and watching. If doubts arise, watch them come and go. It is very simple. Hold on to nothing. It is though you are walking down a road. Periodically you will run into obstacles when you meet defilements just see them and overcome them by letting them go. Don't think about the obstacles you have past already. Don't worry about those you haven't seen yet. Stick to the present. Don't be concerned about the length of the road are about a destination. Everything is changing. Whatever you pass, don't cling to it. Eventually the mind will reach its natural balance where practice is automatic. All things will come and go of themselves. We become stable
Joko Beck says we become a bigger container. It's more that we can handle. Balanced and equanimity. empty mind is always ready to respond. Not trapped in patterns not caught up in regrets.
questioner asks, Have you ever looked at the altra sutra, the altar Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch way down and he says way nuns wisdom is very keen. It is a very profound teaching. Not easy for beginners to understand. But if you practice with our discipline and with patience, if you practice not clinging, you will eventually understand. Once I had a disciple who stayed in a grass roofed hut, it rained off in that rainy season. And one day a strong wind blew off half the roof. He did not bother to fix it. Just let it rain in several days past and I asked him about his hot. He said he was practicing not clinging. This is not clinging without wisdom. It is about the same as the equanimity of a water buffalo. If you live a good life and live simply, if you are patient and unselfish, you will understand the wisdom of way nung.
Okay, I think we've come to a good place to stop and we will now recite the Four Vows
