The
Mother taking
Class in playground
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The
best of all paths is the Eightfold Path; the best
of all truths is the Fourfold Truth; the best of
all states is freedom from, attachment, the
best among men is the One who sees the Buddha.
Truly,
this is the Path; there is -no other which leads
to purification of vision. Follow than Path and
Mara will be confounded.
By
following 'this Path, you put an end to suffering.
This path I have made known, since I learned to remove
the thorns (of life).
The
effort must come from oneself. The Tathagatas
only point out the Path. Those who meditate and
tread this Path are delivered from
the bondage of Mara.
"All
conditioned things are impermanent." When one
has seen that by realisation, he is delivered from
sorrow. That is the Path of purity.
"All
conditioned things are subject to suffering." When
one has, seen that by realisation, he is delivered
from sorrow. That is the Path of purity.
"All
things are insubstantial." When one has seen that
by realisation, he is delivered from sorrow. That
is the Path of purity.
He
who though young and strong, does not act when
it is time to act, is given to indolence, and his
mind
is full of vain thoughts; one
who is so indolent will not find the
Path of wisdom.
Moderation
in, speech, control of abstention from evil
actions, thus these three modes ,of action are
to be purified first of all, to attain the
path shown by the sages.
From
meditation wisdom springs, without meditation
wisdom declines. Knowing the two paths of
progress and decline, a man should choose the
Path which will inc),ease his wisdom.
Cut
down all the forest (of desires) and not one
tree alone; for, from this forest springy fear.
Cut down this forest of trees and, undergrowth,
0 Bhikkhus. Be. free from desire.
As
long as one has not rooted out of oneself entirely
the desire of a man for a woman, the mind is captive,
as dependent as a suckling on its mother.
Root
out self-love, as one plucks with his
hand an autumn lotus. Cherish only the Path
of the peace of Nirvana that the Sugata1
has taught us.
"Here
shall I live in the rainy season; I shall stay there
in the, winter and elsewhere in the summer." Thus
thinks the fool and knows not What may befall him.
And
this man who is attached to his children and his,
cattle, is seized by death and carried off, as
a sleeping village is swept away by torrential
floods.
Neither
children, nor father, nor family can save us.
When death seizes us, our kinsmen cannot save us.
Knowing
this perfectly, the intelligent man, guided by
good,conduct, does not delay in faking up the path
which leads to Nirvana.
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Here
are some very useful recommendations: moderation in speech,
control of the mind, and abstention from evil actions. This
is very good.
Here is something radical, but it is also very good:
"As long as one has not rooted out of oneself entirely the
desire of a man for a woman, the mind is captive, as dependent
as a suckling on its mother."
And finally: "Root out self-love, as one plucks with
his hand an autumn lotus." These are good subjects for meditation.
These recommendations seem to have been meant for people
who are just at the beginning of the Path from the intellectual
point of view. We can easily imagine a gathering of country
people, people with 'simple minds'. to whom I one h I as
to say, "Listen carefully, it is no use making plans, for
you do not know what will happen to you tomorrow. You are
amassing wealth, you are taking your ease among your family,
you are making schemes for tomorrow and for the day after,
and you are not aware that death' is on the watch and that
at any moment it can fall on you."
All the same, there is a slightly more advanced stage
of intellectual development in which these things
need not be said - one must live them ! Live in the consciousness
that things are altogether impermanent, never become attached,
if you are to be free to progress with the universe and
grow according to the eternal rhythm. This one understands.
But what is important is to practice it. Here one has the
impression that these things were told to people who had
never thought of them before and so they had the full power
of an active force.
After all, in spite of all appearances, humanity progresses;
it has progressed particularly in the mind. There are things
that no longer need to be said.... Or else one must go to
countries that are at a very primitive stage, and even so...
ideas have spread everywhere, the mental light has spread
everywhere and in the most unexpected places one finds instances
of receptivity and understanding.
One really has the impression that during the last
century a light came and spread upon the earth with the
result that certain ideas, which were once idea-forces,
new ideas with the power to stir up the consciousness in
men, have lost their relevance, they are now old. A
new light is at work.
In practice, the progress is not very great, even in
some respects perhaps there has been a retrogression, but
in the mind, in the understanding, in, the intellectual
vision Of things, there has truly been a great change.
It seems we are marching on the way at an accelerated
pace and these things which used to be of the first importance
are becoming almost commonplace in the light of new discoveries.
Life as it is bad, disorder is everywhere, suffering is
everywhere, confusion is everywhere, chaos is everywhere,
ignorance is everywhere - we all know it, don't we ? It
seems so hackneyed.
But that one can emerge from it through a total realisation,
a total transformation, through a new light that will establish
order and harmony in things, is a message of hope that has
to be given. This is the true, the dynamic message.
A new life must be built.
Then all these difficulties that seemed so unsurmountable
oh ! they fall of themselves.
When you can live in light and joy, are you going to
cling to shadow and suffering ?
1
The Buddha
27
June 1958
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