From: https://youtube.com/watch?v=PunjeXdITN8

Context: Throughout this transcript, Bhante Vimalaramsi is the speaker unless otherwise indicated.

[Music]

thus if I heard on one occasion the

blessed one was wandering in the pesalam

country and with a large Sangha of monks

eventually he arrived at Kosala attic

wasalam Brahmin village named okasada

there the Blessed One stayed in the

God's Grove the solitary Grove to the

north of opah saga now on that occasion

the Brahma and chunky was ruling over o

posada crown property abounding in

living beings rich in grassland

woodlands waterway and green a royal

endowment a sacred grant given to him by

king pasenadi of Kosala the brahmin

householder evoke posada heard the

Rekluse Gautama

the son of this archaeans went forth

from the sake and Clem has been

wandering in the country of the Coase

islands with a large Sangha of monks now

a good rapport of Master Gautama has

been spread to this effect the Blessed

One has accomplished fully awakened

perfect in true knowledge and conduct

sublime knower of worlds incomparable of

leader of persons to be attained teacher

of gods and humans awakened and blessed

he declares this world with its gods its

Brahmas and its Mara's this generation

with its recluses and brahmins with its

princes and its people which he has

himself realized with direct knowledge

he teaches the Dhamma that is good in

the beginning good in the middle and

good in the end with the right phrasing

and meaning he reveals a holy life that

is utterly perfect and pure

now it is good to see such era hats then

the Brahmin householders of oh Posada

set forth from OPA sada in groups and

bands and headed northwards to God's

Grove the solitary Grove now on that

occasion the Brahman chunky he had

retired to the upper storey of his

palace for his midday rest then he's the

Brahman householders of Oh Posada

setting forth from oh Posada in groups

and bands and heading northward to the

God's Grove the salutary Grove when he

saw them he asked his minister good

minister why are the Brahmin

householders of opah sada setting forth

from opa sada in groups and bands and

heading northwards to the gods grove the

salutary grove sir there is the recluse

Gautama the son of the sake ins who wind

forth from the sake and clan who has

been wandering in the Casal and country

they're going to see master Gautama then

good minister go to the Brahman

householders of Oh Posada and tell them

sirs the Brahman chunk he says this

please wait sirs the Brahman chaka will

also go to see the Rekluse Gautama yes

sir the minister replied and they went

to the Brahmans householders and gave

them the

now on that occasion 500 brahmins from

various states were staying in ou Posada

for some business or other they heard

the brahman chunky it is said is going

to see the Rekluse Gautama then they

went to the Brahman chunky and asked him

sir is it true that you're going to see

the Rekluse Gautama so it is sirs I'm

going to see the Rekluse go to my sirs

and serve do not go to see the Rekluse

Gautama it is not proper master chunky

for you to go see the Rekluse Gautama

rather it is proper for the refuse go to

mod to come to seeing you for you sir

are well born on both sides with pure

maternal and paternal descent seven

generations back unassailable and

impeccable in respect of birth since

that is so master chunky it is not

proper for you to go see the reakless

Gautama rather it is proper for the

recluse Gautama to come see you you sir

are rich with great wealth and great

possessions you sir are a master of the

three Vedas with the vocabularies

literary phonology and etymology and the

histories as the fifth skilled in full

ology and grammar you are fully versed

in the natural philosophy and the marks

of a great man

you sir are handsome comely and graceful

possessing supreme beauty of complexion

with sobriety and beauty and

Lyon presents remarkable to behold you

sir our virtuous mature in virtue

possessing but or virtue you sir are a

good speaker with a good delivery you

speak words that are courteous distinct

flawless and communicate the meaning you

sir

teach the teachers of many and you teach

the recitation of the hymns to the three

hundred Brahman students you sir our

honored respected revered venerated and

esteem by king pasenadi of Kosan out of

Kosala you sir are honored respected

revered venerated and esteem by the

Brahmin pokhara sati you serve roll over

Popo Sanada a crown property abounding

with living beings a sacred grant given

to you by king pasenadi of Kosala since

this is so master chunky it is not

proper for you to see the recluse

Gautama rather it is proper for the

recluse Gautama to come see you when

this was said the Brahman chunky told

those Brahmins now sirs here why it is

proper for me to go see master Gautama

and why it is not proper for master

Gautama to come see me sirs the Rekluse

Gautama is well born on both sides of

pure mid-turn

one paternal descent seven generations

back unassailable and impeccable in

respect to birth he was not born a

Brahmin he was born in the warrior class

and the warrior class they were the ones

that were mostly the rulers the Brahmins

were more on the spiritual side but they

did rule some but the warrior class was

the the class that fought the battles

and that sort of thing since this is so

sir it is not proper for master Gautama

to come see me rather it is proper for

me to see master Gautama most people in

the warrior class and the Brahmins could

read all the other lower classes the

merchants the the skilled workers and

that sort of thing could they gave the

their talks in Sanskrit which only the

Brahmins in the warrior class could

understand then they had to translate it

for the common people this is why the

Buddha didn't speak in Sanskrit he spoke

in the common language it's not Pali

actually it's called Mahadeva that's

where he stayed most of the time was

country of the Mogollon sirs the Rekluse

Gautama went forth abandoning much

golden bullion stored away in vaults

inland lofts sir the Rekluse go to Mao

and forth from the home life into

homelessness while still young a

black-haired young man endowed with the

blessings of youth the tradition with

the Brahmans was as a young man they

would get married have a family then

they got to be about 60 years old they

gave everything they own to the family

and of course this is not all of them

but if they were prone towards ascetic

practices and spiritual practices when

they were sixty they gave everything

away and took on the ropes so to hear

that somebody was a black haired young

man is real unusual

SURS the Rekluse Gautama shaved off his

hair and beard and put on the yellow

robe and went for him went forth from

the home life into homelessness though

his mother and father wished otherwise

and wept with tearful faces sirs the

Rekluse Gautama is handsome comely and

graceful possessing supreme beauty of

complexion with sublime beauty and

sublime presence remarkable to behold

sirs the Rekluse Gautama is virtuous

with noble virtue with wholesome virtue

possessing whole wholesome virtue sirs

the refuse Gautama is a good speaker

with good delivery he speaks words that

are courteous distinct flawless and

communicate the meaning serve a recluse

Gautama is a teacher of the teachers of

many sirs the recluse Gautama is free

from sensual lust and without personal

vanity serves the recluse Gautama holds

the doctrine of moral efficacy of action

the doctrine of moral efficacy of Deeds

he does not seek any harm for the line

of the brahmanas Brahmans were kind of

afraid of it in another suta they talk

about his converting magic which was

than the Dhamma sirs the riku's Gautama

went forth from an aristocratic family

from one of the original noble families

his father was the king of an area sirs

the Rekluse Gautama went forth from a

rich family from a family of great

wealth and great possessions sirs people

come from remote kingdoms and remote

districts to question the Rekluse

Gautama

serves many thousands of deities have

gone forth for a refuge for life to the

recluse go to My sirs a good report of

the Rekluse Gautama has been spread to

this effect the Blessed One has

accomplished fully awakened perfect and

true knowledge and conduct sublime

knower of worlds and comparable leader

of persons to be tamed teacher of gods

and humans awakened and blessed sirs the

Rekluse Gautama possesses the thirty-two

marks of a great man sirs the king

bimbisara of magadha and his wife and

his children have gone forth for a

refuge for life to the recluse Gautama

serves the king pasenadi kosala

and his wife and children have gone

forth for refuge for life to the Rekluse

Gautama sirs the Brahmin poco Horizonte

his wife and

have gone forth for refuge for life to

the recluse Gautama sirs the recluse

Gautama has arrived at O Posada and as

living at O Posada in God's growth the

solitary Grove to the north of oppa sada

now any Rekluse or Brahman that come to

our town are our guests and guests

should be honored respected revered and

venerated by us since the recluse

Gautama has arrived at O Posada he is

our guest and as our guest should be

honored respected revered venerated by

us since this is so it is not proper for

master Gautama to come see me

rather it is proper for me to go see

master Gautama sirs this much is the

praise of master Gautama that I have

learned but the praise of master Gautama

is not limited to that

for the praise of master Gautama is

immeasurable since master Gautama

possesses each of these factors it is

not proper for me to come

it is not proper for him to come see me

rather it is proper for me to go see

master Gautama therefore sirs let all of

us go to see the Rekluse Gautama in

India the because of the caste system

they really had a hierarchy the Brahmins

were at the top of the the list so many

people would go see the Brahmins rather

than have Brahmins come and see him and

it was pretty straight that's why this

whole thing took place then the Brahmin

shonky together with a large company of

Brahmins went to the Blessed One and

exchanged greetings with him when this

courteous and amiable talk was finished

he sat down at one side now on that

occasion the blessed one was seated

finishing some amiable talk with some

rather senior Brahmins at the time

sitting in the assembly was a Brahmin

student

we'll just calling the Brahmin student

young shaven head 16 years old he was a

master of the three Vedas that means he

memorized all of the Vedas that is no

small task and at sixteen is pretty

remarkable with the vocabularies liturgy

phonology etymology and histories as the

fifth skilled in full ology and grammar

he was fully versed in the natural

philosophy and marks of the great man

while the very senior Brahmins were

conversing with the Blessed One he

repeatedly broke in and interrupted

their talk this is a definite no-no he's

too young to be doing that even the

Buddhist monks the senior monk talks to

whoever they're visiting nobody else

says

yeah I was put in that position of being

the senior monk of the the Western monks

of when we would travel I was the one

that would talk to the abbot and ask him

questions and that sort of thing if they

had a question they had to write it down

so in and hand it to me don't speak

then the Blessed One rebuked the

brahmins student let not the venerable

student break in and interrupt the talk

of the very senior brahmins while they

are conversing now there there's a

problem with this kind of a etiquette

because if me being a junior monk would

write something down I might get my

question asked or not or I might get

asked them to clarify but I had to write

it down and give it to the and sometimes

it would answer and sometimes they

wouldn't and not being able to discuss

is a problem not only for the teacher

why do I ask you four questions at the

end of every talk I want questions so we

can discuss but everybody sits here like

a lump on the log without any questions

because of the Chinese and the way that

they teach they had great influence in

all the countries of Asia and they are

taught not to question the teacher and

the teacher teaches them about 75% of

what they need to know so you can ask

questions about the other 25% you will

be disciplined if you do and that makes

the teacher that puts him on a pedestal

up higher

I don't like pedestals it hurts when you

fall off so I try to get people to

engage we can talk about anything after

the dhamma talk it doesn't have to be

just on the talk

let the venerable student wait until the

talk is finished so the Buddha was

following that etiquette if there's

something you don't understand while I'm

giving a Dhamma talk raise your hand and

ask the question please I will try to

make it more clear if I can I don't know

all the answers if I don't know I will

say I don't know but I'll try to find

out when this was the Brahmin trunk he

said to the Blessed One let not master

Gautama rebuke the Brahmans student the

Brahmans student is a Klansman he is

very learned he has good delivery he is

wise he is capable of taking part in the

discussion with master Gautama when the

blood then the Blessed One thought

surely since the Brahmans honor him thus

the Brahmans student must be

accomplished in this in the scriptures

of the three Vedas then the Brahmans

student thought when the Rekluse Gautama

catches my eye I shall ask him a

question

then knowing with his own mind the

thought of the Brahmans student the

blessed one turned his eye towards him

then the Brahman student thought the

Rekluse Gautama has turned his eye

words me suppose I ask him a question

then he said to the Blessed One Master

Gautama in regard to the ancient

romantic hymns that have come down

through oral tradition preserved in the

collections the Brahmins come to the

definite conclusion only this is true

and anything else is wrong what does a

master Gautama say about this how then

student among the Brahmans

is there even a single Brahmin who says

thus I know this I see this only this is

true and anything else is wrong

no master Gautama so what are we talking

about you have to believe no not with

the Buddha you have to see see for

yourself don't believe how then stood

and among the Brahmans

is there even a single teacher or a

teacher of teachers back to the 7th

generation of teachers as says thus I

know this I see this only this is true

anything else is wrong

no master Gautama how then student the

ancient Brahmin seers the creators of

the

the composers of the hymns whose ancient

hymns were formally chanted uttered and

compiled the Brahmins nowadays still

chant and repeat repeating what was

spoken and reciting what was recited did

even these ancient Brahmin seer say thus

we know this we see this only this is

true and anything else is wrong no

master Gautama so student it seems that

among the Brahmans there's not even a

single Brahmin who says I know this I

see this only this is true and anything

else is wrong and among the Brahmans

that there is not even a single teacher

or a single teachers teacher back to the

seventh generation of teachers who says

thus I know this I see this only this is

true and anything else is wrong and the

ancient Brahmin seers the creators of

the hymns the composers of the hymns

even these ancient Brahmin seers did not

say thus we know this we see this on me

this is true and anything else is wrong

suppose there were a file of blind men

each in touch with the next the first

does not see the middle does not see in

the last one does not see so Tuesday

in regard to their statement the

brahmins seem to be like a file of blind

men the first one doesn't know the

middle one doesn't know and the last one

doesn't know or see what do you think

student that being so does not the faith

of the brahmins turn out to be

groundless

that's what blind belief is all about

and it runs rampant in the world that

kind of blind belief the brahmins

honored not only out of faith master

Gautama but they also honor it as an

oral tradition student first you take

the stand on faith and now you speak of

oral tradition there are five things

student that may turn out in two

different ways here and now what five

faith approval oral tradition reason

cogitation and reflective acceptance of

a view these five things may turn out in

two different ways here and now

now something may be fully accepted out

of faith yet it may be empty Hollow and

false but some does something else may

not be fully accepted out of faith yet

it may be factual true and

again something may be fully approved of

or well transmitted well cogitated well

reflected upon yet it may be empty

hollow and false but something else may

not be well reflected upon may not be

factual true and none mistaken yet it

may be if if it's not a widely accepted

it might be truth and unmistakable under

these conditions it is not proper for a

wise man who preserves the truth to the

definite conclusion only this is true in

any

thing else is wrong but master go to

mine what way is there the preservation

of truth how does one preserve truth we

asked master Gautama about the

preservation of truth good question if a

person has faith student he preserves

the truth when he says my faith says of

us but he does not yet come to the

definite conclusion only this is true

and anything else is wrong in this way

student there is the preservation of

truth in this way he preserves the truth

in this way we described the

preservation of truth but as yet there

is no discovery of truth if a person

approves us something if he receives an

oral tradition if he reaches a

conclusion based on reason

agitation if he gains reflective

acceptance of a view he preserves the

truth when he says

my oral tradition or reason cogitation

or reflective acceptance of the view is

thus but he does not yet come to the

definite conclusion only this is true

and anything else is wrong in this way

to the student there is the preservation

of truth in this way he preserves the

truth in this way we described the

preservation of truth but as yet there

is no discovery of the truth let's see

how the Buddha is leading him on I used

to give Dhamma talks about every other

week to a bunch of professors at the

university they were so impressed with

this suta they started taking notes well

that not only is talking about spiritual

path that's the best way to teach other

people so listen closely this this is

very good stuff in that way Master

Gautama there is the preservation of

truth in that way one preserves the

truth in that way we recognize the

preservation of truth but in what way

Master Gautama is there the discovery of

the truth good

question in what way does one discover

the truth we asked master Gautama about

the discovery of truth here student a

person may be living in dependence on

some village or town then a householder

or householder son goes to him and

investigates him in regard to three

kinds of states in regard to States

based on greed in regard to States based

on hate in regard to States based on

delusion are there any in this venerable

one are there in this venerable one any

States based on greetings

such that with his mind obsessed by

these states well not knowing he might

say I know or well not seeing he might

say I see or he might urge others to act

in a way that would lead to their harm

and suffering for a long time as he

investigates him he comes to know there

is no such States based on breathe in

this venerable one the bodily behavior

and verbal behavior of this venerable

one are not those of one affected by

greed and the Dhamma that this venerable

one teaches is profound hard to see and

hard to understand peaceful and sublime

unattainable by mere reasoning subtle to

be expiry

spies the wise again here's that word

wisdom and that's talking about seeing

how dependent origination actually works

and we'll be getting into that more

starting tomorrow

this dal makhani

cannot be easily taught by one affected

by greed when he has investigated him

and he is seen that he's purified from

states based on greed he next

investigates him in regard to states

based on eight are there in this

venerable one in these states based on

hate such that with his mind obsessed by

these states he might urge others to act

in a way that would lead him to harm and

suffering for a long time as he

investigates him he comes to know there

are no such faith states based on eight

in this venerable one the bodily

behavior and verbal behavior of this

venerable one are not those of one

affected by hate and the Dhamma that

this venerable one teaches is profound

to be experienced by the wise this

Dhamma cannot easily be taught by a one

affected by hate when he's investigated

him and he has seen that he is purified

from these states based on hate he next

investigates him in regards to States

based on delusion are there in this

venerable one

in States based on delusion what is

delusion

say it again I didn't hear taking it

personally you sir

have been watching my videos good for

you

okay any such dates based on delusion

such that with his mind obsessed with

these states he might urge others in a

way or to act in a way that would lead

to harm and suffering for a long time as

he investigates him he comes to know

there are no such dates based on

delusion in this venerable one the

bodily behavior and verbal behavior of

this venerable one are not those

affected by delusion and the Dhamma that

this venerable one teaches is profound

to be experienced by the wise this is

this Dhamma cannot easily be taught by

one affected by delusion

now greed hatred delusion these are a

broken up way of saying craving I like

it I don't like it I am that

so he's saying look for a teacher that

has as little craving as possible when

he has investigated him and has seen

that he is purified from States based on

delusion then he places faith in him

filled with faith he visits him his

respect to him having paid respect to

him he gives here listen closely when he

gives it here he hears the Dhamma I

would prefer that hears and understands

more of the Dhamma

having heard the Dhamma he memorizes it

the things that you started memorizing

here are the six R's

the different kind of hatred there are

the different kind of hindrances

and the examines the meaning of the

teaching is memorized so you don't just

blindly say these things in the morning

they are there as a reminder so that you

won't break the precept when he examines

their meaning he gains reflective

acceptance of those teachings when he's

gained reflective acceptance of those

teaching enthusiasm springs up when

enthusiasm has sprung up he applies his

mindfulness having applied is

mindfulness he scrutinizes having

scrutinized he strives Striders here

means using the sixers resolutely

striving he realizes with the body the

supreme truth and seized it by

penetrating it with wisdom now you've

seen me talk about the meninges okay

that it wraps around your entire nervous

system and when there's a thought or

feeling or sensation that arises that

the nerves spread out a little bit and

that causes tension and tightness this

is how you recognize craving when it

arises tension and tightness mostly

you'll see it in your head that's the

biggest part but when you relax here

you're relaxing your body and it's the

key to the six hours

every unwholesome I'm also thought

feeling it's not doesn't arise with joy

unless you hold on to it but I'm talking

just in general terms right now in this

way student there is the discovery of

truth in this way one discovers truth in

this way we describe the discovery of

truth but as yet there's no final

arrival at truth in that way master

Gautama there is the discovery of truth

in that way one discovers truth in that

way we recognize the discovery of truth

but in what way master Gautama is there

the final arrival at truth in what way

does what finally arrive at truth

we asked master Gautama about the final

arrival of truth the final arrival at

truth student lies in the repetition

development and cultivation of these

same things

practicing the six hours

they will take you to Nevada the relaxed

step being able to recognize the tension

that happens in your head in your mind

needs to be let it be relaxed then bring

up something wholesome

what is mylène do it helps your

observation be light and you can have

some low levels of joy arise just a

happy feeling and you bring that light

pure mind back to your object of

meditation and then stay with your

object of meditation with that smile

it's pretty simple this is not

complicated at all I have practiced many

different kinds of meditation some of it

is so complicated I just know I can't do

this

I talked with a korean abbot of a big

temple and he was trying to convince me

of doing a meditation that was extremely

complicated I couldn't keep it all in my

mind what I was supposed to be doing he

said well I've been doing this for 35

years it's pretty easy to do well yeah

but if it takes me a year to learn it

that's not what we call immediately

effective Coleco in Pali

see the six R's are immediately

effective the first time you use it it

is effective you recognize that your

mind is distracted away from your object

of meditation you release the

distraction you don't keep your

attention on it if you keep your

attention on the distraction that's

gonna get bigger and harder to let go of

now there are some people that say just

follow that this is choiceless awareness

ask them what kind of development they

they've had with their however long

they've been practicing meditation are

you successful do you know what it is to

be successful in the meditation most

people don't they need to be educated

that there is a very systematic way of

doing this as soon as you allow and take

your attention away from that

distraction and put your attention on

relaxing that's immediately effective

immediat you've gone from having an

unwholesome mind to a wholesome mind in

a fraction of a second then you bring up

something wholesome you smile bring that

back to your object of meditation that

is immediately effective

when I went to Burma for the first time

I stayed at Mojave Center I was there

for eight months and they had all of

mojave saya docks of which there was 30

or 35 books so I got all the books and I

started reading he had a book on

dependent origination and the

introduction said this is very difficult

to understand

I read it he explained it in a way that

is very difficult to understand he was

right in the visit imago it talks about

dependent origination and they said it's

like putting the weight of all the

oceans on your head it's hard to

understand well the way they explained

it it is but it is easy to understand

then you will understand at least the

beginning parts of this before this

retreat is over okay promise anyway

the repetition the using the six R's

over and over again purifying your mind

of the crazy immediately effective very

simple

when the Buddha was teaching the farmers

he had to have a system that was easy to

understand he had to have a system that

worked quickly because they would lose

their interest but he found this the six

R's are part of the Eightfold Path and

in my book

I call it harmonious practice

it's right effort

okay

first part of right effort in the suta

there's there's four parts to it I added

a couple extra steps so it's easier to

understand but it's still the same thing

you recognize when an unwholesome state

arises by seeing that tension and

tightness you release the unwholesome

state and relax you bring up something

wholesome smile bring that smiling mind

back to your object of meditation that

is also to and continue staying with

your object of meditation for as long as

you can creepy

so the four great efforts in the six

arts are the same thing

now this the I have been criticized by

telling people I want you to smile the

Buddha never taught that didn't take me

anybody to smile no he said we're the

happy ones what's the expression of

being happy smile

I want you to smile all the time I don't

care what kind the meditation they're

doing is fine why it improves your

mindfulness again mindfulness is

remembering to observe how mind's

attention moves from one thing to

another that's actually a very deep

definition because you don't get caught

in following things when I was taught at

Mojave Center and before had been

practicing I was taught that when

painful feeling arises put your

attention right in the middle of that

painful feeling quote see it's true

nature it's true nature hurt it was

painful and it made the pain bigger and

more intense because I was feeding it

with my attention so that rate that

release step not keeping your attention

on the distraction is very important you

have to follow it up with the relaxed

step where else you're not going to

purify your mind how do you purify your

mind you let go of craving right after

you relax that tightness you see your

mind doesn't have anything in it

your mind is observing it's clear it's

bright your awareness is very agile

sieze very quickly what's happening and

it is pure it's not it's it's also no

then you bring that to your smile and

come back to your object of meditation

so this is the only practice that I've

ever ran across that is so immediately

effective and you have to repeat it

maybe a hundred thousand times maybe a

million who knows but you keep using the

Sixers you will progress in the

meditation don't add any other kind of

meditation to what you're doing

I had a man that came here I've been

doing Vedanta for 40 years and he was

throwing in all kinds of stuff

Oh on the in-breath I breathed in

loving-kindness on the out-breath I let

go of crazy said who told you to do that

who told you to mix up two different

kinds of meditation at the same time or

three actually he said I didn't tell you

to do that if you don't follow the

instructions you're not going to learn

yeah it took him

how long was he here he must he was here

for almost a month but he finally

started following what I was talking

about to have somebody here for a month

doing a retreat after two weeks I don't

know what to do with you because you

already know what you're doing by that

time that's the nature of following the

suit does now I've done a lot of 1 month

3 trees I've done a lot of 3-month

retreats I did an 8 month

retreat I did a two-year retreat all

with the same kind of meditation and

that's kind of what I'm Stein said you

do the same thing over and over and

expect a different result that's crazy

and I was

but I went through that so you don't

have to then they retreat or two week

retreat is plenty long enough you will

understand when you don't add like this

other guy did all but I know and then in

yoga you got to do this and I will okay

do that but don't do it here you're not

gonna learn if you do it here it was

very difficult to teach I liked students

that are easy to teach I like beginners

because they don't have any clue what's

going to be happening and that works

pretty good that way

and they can be even more successful

than somebody that's done a retreat

before so repetition and development and

cultivation of all of these different

qualities as you start going deeper in

your meditation you're gonna start

getting a little bit enthusiastic you're

gonna start going you know this stuff

works you know this is good I had a

student that was in Korea she was

considered really a special teacher

she'd been doing one pointed

concentration I kept telling her have

fun with the meditation stop being so

serious she started following what I was

saying and she came to me one day with

this look of wonder on her face and she

said I am having fun I didn't think that

was possible

I had another student I've been teaching

a different form of meditation for

twenty years and he came to me and he

said I honestly know what a pleasant

abiding here and now means

this is fun don't get serious with it

please turn it into a game

your minds crazy anyway is that right

that's why you can laugh does he knows

how crazy my it is so laugh with it

laugh addiction Anna gates with all of

its different kinds of distractions

don't take them seriously hope it's

Agnes is serious no it's not anger is

serious no it's not actually anger is

one of the funniest things that you can

have it's really true if your

perspective is according to the six

hours

laughter changes your perspective from I

am that where your mind is really

serious and you're taking it personally

to well it's only that we don't need to

carry that around let it go you go from

the personal to the impersonal that's

immediately affected having fun with the

meditation is really a necessary part of

the practice as I said I've done a lot

of retreats and with the kind of

meditation that I've been doing before I

could get up and start walking out and

people were still sitting and I'd look

at their faces in their faces are all

screwed up but they're really trying

hard now is that what you call right

effort

[Music]

[Laughter]

and at the end of the retreat and this

this went after every retreat that I

took we sat around and talked about how

hard it was and people that come in

practice with me they start complaining

Oh can't we just stay a few more days

this is fun go off and have fun that's

the way life is supposed to be it's

supposed to be fun

anytime you see your mind getting

serious you're attached so laugh with it

find us crazy laugh at the craziness in

this ways student there is the final

arrival at truth in this way one finally

arrives at truth in this way we describe

the final arrival at truth in that way

master Gautama there is the final

arrival at truth in that one wave one

finally arrives at truth and that way we

recognized the final arrival at truth

but what master Gautama is most helpful

for the final arrival at truth we asked

master Gautama about the thing most

helpful for the final arrival that truth

one of the things that I don't say this

on every retreat but I say it often when

you were in school and you had a

favorite class how did you do

why because it was fun it was fun

figuring out what needed to be figured

out or doing what needed to be done so

you did well with it this is the same

thing striving is most helpful for the

final arrival of truth' student if one

does not drive one will not finally

arrive at truth but because one strives

one does finally arrive at truth you

have to try oops

you have to do you have to set your mind

this is not an easy practice sitting

especially at first sitting without

moving your body comes up with all kinds

of aches and pains that's what you move

around for because that that

restlessness comes up it's a painful

feeling and you move so you don't have

to look at it now you get to sit as

still as you possibly can then you get

to watch mine and how that reacts to it

and you get to use the six hours after a

short period of time it gets much easier

I've been in stores and I've been in

museums where I'm looking at something

very intently not moving because I've

developed that habit not to move a whole

lot and they turn around and start to

walk away and somebody right beside me

jumps I mean I thought you were

mannequin

and that's a really a high compliment

because I was I was being intent on what

I was looking at when I got done with it

then I'm started moving away I don't

have a lot of restlessness why because

of the years of practice and learning

how to let it go but what master Gautama

is most helpful for is driving we asked

master Gautam about the thing most

helpful first driving scrutiny is most

helpful for striving you have to

scrutinize and make sure that the six

hours are the right thing to do don't

believe it because I say it don't

believe anything that I say see for

yourself you are your own teachers when

a hindrance arises it's not something to

fight with it's something to open up and

allow it to be their sick sorry but it's

showing you where your attachments are

and as you purify your mind and go

deeper you're still going to have some

hindrances arise that's the nature of

this process but the hindrance is there

to help you it improves your mindfulness

because you have to 6r and

come back and be with your object of

meditation every time you do that mind

becomes more clear more more observant

of how this process works that's why the

definition of mindfulness helps you go a

lot deeper then

[Music]

most definitions of mindfulness a lot of

people try to use the word mindfulness

as a way of blocking and stopping things

from coming up it's not for that a

meditation pain can come up into your

body u6r

the pain doesn't go away necessarily but

your your attachment to the pain starts

going away you might have to go back and

keep doing it over and over again

because it keeps pulling your attention

to it fine

that is a hindrance and it's there to

teach you where you grabbed on because

of past actions what you do with what

arises in the present dictates what

happens in the future if you fight with

it if you resist it if you try to change

it if you try to make it different than

it is you can look forward to that

endurance coming up over and over again

or you make a decision whether you're

gonna 6r or not or whether you're going

to fight with it or not the 6r is not

necessary to make it stop it will do

that on its own the six R's are there to

show you where your attachment is and

the six R's are there to help you let go

of that attachment as you do that you

start understanding this is a process

that you're going through you're not

really trying to develop deep

concentration it comes by itself as you

let go of the hindrances it doesn't

matter what jhana here in

when your mindfulness becomes weak for

whatever reason distracted that

hindrance another hindrance is going to

come up treat it like an old friend I

read one thing of the Tibetans they said

invite it in for tea do that don't fight

with it don't try to change it don't try

to make it any different than it is it's

only a hindrance and it's not even yours

you didn't ask it to come up you can't

make it go away

so there's no controller in there it's

teaching you part of the impersonal

process every time you relax if one does

not sprit nice see how it works one will

not strive but because one scrutinise is

one strives that's why scrutiny is most

helpful for striving but what master

Gautama is most helpful for scrutiny we

asked master Gautam about the thing most

helpful for spirit to me

application of

mindfulness is most helpful for scrutiny

now a hindrance comes up and it pulls

you away from your object of meditation

and you use the six hours and come back

to your object of meditation and then it

pulls you away again so you do this same

thing again as you become more and more

familiar with how this process works

right before your mind got really caught

up in the hindrance you're going to see

that there was something that happened

right before that so these six are and

you come back you get pulled back again

but you recognize that thing that

happened right before that which is a

link of dependent origination you're

seeing and use Excel right then so the

length of time that you're away from

your object of meditation becomes

shorter and the length of time that you

stay with the object of meditation

becomes longer so this application of

mindfulness is very very important

observe how this process works I don't

care what kind of hindrance it is I call

all this all entrances distractions

so whatever the distraction is fine it

can be there

it's your teacher treat it with respect

be grateful that it came up because it's

helping you to observe more closely how

this process works if one does not apply

one's mindfulness one will not

scrutinize because 1 applies mindfulness

one scrutinizes that's why the

application of mindfulness is most

helpful for scrutiny but what master

Gautama is most helpful for the

application of mindfulness we asked

master Gautam about the thing most

helpful for the application of

mindfulness enthusiasm is most helpful

having a little bit of fun with it

if one does not arouse their enthusiasm

one will not apply their mindfulness you

have to take an interest in it

but because one arouses their enthusiasm

one applies their mindfulness that's one

of the reasons that I keep saying over

and over make it a game this is a

process it's not your process but become

familiar with how it works smile have

some fun with it

and laugh at how crazy your mind gonna

get because it's gonna do that it's

gonna get crazy okay fine I don't care

that's why enthusiasm is most helpful

for the application of my informants

but what master Gautama is most helpful

for enthusiasm we asked master Gautam

about the thing most helpful for

enthusiasm reflective acceptance of the

teaching is most helpful for enthusiasm

when you start getting the insights you

start seeing for yourself how these

things arise you said that terms of

meditation turns into an oh wow

meditation oh wow I didn't recognize

that before now I see it clearly so your

enthusiasm becomes much better when you

start reflecting on how this process

works all of this stuff is

interconnected it's woven together one

of the worst things about the commentary

is they start tearing these threads

apart and they say well faith is over

here in this bowl and enthusiasm is over

here and your mindfulness is over here

and they take it all apart and you can't

do that it's all inner woven you have to

do it in a systematic way that's one of

the reasons that I read this suit is so

much is because it's the most systematic

logical

way to study

all of that is part of it this is right

now is more than nuts and bolts of it

but it's not separate from the parent if

one does not gain the reflective

acceptance of the teaching enthusiasm

won't spring up I know a lot of people

that have been doing meditation for many

many years

they hit a wall that's as far as they're

gonna go their enthusiasm and the

meditation starts disappearing I know

people that have been practicing for

twenty years they just stop meditating

altogether it's not going anywhere that

does not happen with this kind of

meditation

but because one gains a reflective

acceptance of the teaching enthusiasm

springs up that's why reflective

acceptance of the teaching is most

helpful for enthusiasm but what master

Gautama is most helpful for a reflective

acceptance of the teacher we asked

master Gautama about the thing most

helpful for a reflective acceptance of

the teachings examination of the meaning

see for yourself is most helpful for the

reflective acceptance of the teaching so

you see how these two are intertwined

you have to examine and see for yourself

is what but they say I'm right or not

question okay that was don't ask the

same question over and over to me I'll

bark it

but answer it for yourself and if you

can't figure it out

ask your intuition that will help you if

one does not examine their meaning one

will not have a gain a reflective

acceptance of the teaching but because

one examines their meaning one gains a

reflective examination of the meaning

that's why it's most helpful for

reflective exception a reflective

reflection but what Master Gautama is

most helpful for examination of the

meaning we asked Master Gautam about the

thing most helpful for examination of me

memorizing the teaching is most helpful

for examining the meaning if one does

not memorize the teaching one will not

examine its meaning but because the

memories I had memorizes one memorizes

the teaching one examines its meaning

I've been around some pretty fantastic

monks great monks that have memorized

all of

- pity I was when I went to Burma the

lingo inside who was the chief answer at

the six Buddhist Council he was written

up in the Guinness Book of Records for

best retentive memory he memorized

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