From: https://youtube.com/watch?v=8MuapP7P9OY

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

[Music]

thus if I heard on one occasion the

blessed one was living at Swati in

jeta's grove anathapindika's park then

Raman then a Brahmin went to the Blessed

One and we've exchanged greetings with

him when this courteous and amiable talk

was finished he sat down on one side and

said to the best of one master Gautama

there are these recluses and brahmins

each the head of an order the head of a

group the teacher of a group it could be

a well known and famous founder of a

sect regarded by many as a saint that is

purana kassapa

Macaulay moussala

and

I'm not gonna go through these names but

me Jonathan Laputa they have all had

direct knowledge as they have they all

had direct knowledge as they clean or

some of them had direct knowledge in

some of them head

or some of them or have some of them had

direct knowledge and some not enough

Brahman let it be have they all had

direct knowledge as they claimed or have

none of them had to acknowledge as they

claimed or some of them have

acknowledged and some not I shall teach

you the Dhamma Brahman listen and attend

closely to what I shall say yes sir

the Brahmin replied the Blessed One said

this supposed Brahman a man needing

Hartwood seeking Hartwood wandering in

search of hard wood came to a great tree

standing possessed of heartwood passing

over the heartwood its sapwood its inner

bark its outer bark he would cut off the

twigs and leaves and leave them he take

them away thinking they were heartwood

then the man with good sight seeing him

might say this good man did not know the

heartwood the sapwood the inner bark the

outer bark or the twigs and leaves thus

while needing heart but seeking heart

would wandering in search of heartwood

he came to a great tree standing

possessed of heart was passing over the

heartwood and sapwood its inner bark

it's outer bark he cut off his twigs and

leaves and took them away thinking they

were heartwood whatever it was this

man had to make with heartwood his

purpose will not be served suppose a man

needing heartwood seeking heartwood

wandering in search of heartwood came to

a great tree standing possessed of

heartwood passing over the heartwood and

sapwood its inner bark he would cut off

the outer bark and take it away thinking

it was heartwood then a man with good

sight seeing him might say this good man

did not know the heartwood thus well

meaning heart would he cut off the outer

bark and took it away thinking it was

heartwood whatever it was this good man

had to make with heartwood his purpose

will not be served suppose a man needing

heartwood seeking heartwood wandering in

search of heartwood came to a great tree

standing possessed of heartwood passing

over the heartwood and that sap would he

would cut off the inner bark and take it

away thinking it was heartwood then a

man with good sight seeing him might say

this good man did not know the heartwood

thus well needing heartwood he cut off

its inner inner bark and took it away

thinking it was heartwood whatever it

was this good man had to make out of

heartwood his purpose will not be served

suppose a man meeting heartwood seeking

hurt wood wandering in search of harder

quit came to a great tree standing

zest of heartwood passing over its

heartwood he would cut off at sapwood

and take it away thinking it was

heartwood then a man with good sight

seeing him might say this good man did

not know the heartwood well thus needing

heartwood he cut off the sapwood and

took it away thinking it with heartwood

whatever it was this good man had to

make with heartwood his purpose will not

be served I suppose a man needing

heartwood seeking heartwood wandering in

search of heartwood came to a great tree

standing possessed of heartwood and cut

off only its heart but it would take it

away knowing it was heartwood then a man

with good sight seeing him might say

this good man knew the heartwood the

sapwood the inner bark the outer bark

the twigs and leaves thus while meeting

heartwood seeking heartwood wandering in

search of heartwood he came to a great

tree standing possessed of heartwood and

cut it off only the heartwood he took it

away knowing it was heart with whatever

it was this good man had to make with

heartwood his purpose will be served so

to brahman here are some clansmen goes

forth out of faith from the home life

into homelessness considering I am a

victim of death ageing birth aging and

death of sorrow lamentation pain grief

and despair I am a victim of suffering a

prey to suffering surely

of this whole mass of suffering can be

known when he has gone forth with us he

acquires gain honour and renown he is

pleased with being honour and renown and

his intention is fulfilled on account of

which he loves himself and disparages

others thus I have gained honour and

renown but these other monks are unknown

of no account so he arouses no desire to

act he makes no effort for the

realization of those other states that

are higher and more sublime than gain

honour and renown he hangs back and

slackens I say that this person is like

the person needing heartwood who came to

a great tree standing possessed of

heartwood passing over its heartwood and

sapwood its inner bark it's outer bark

cut off its twigs and leaves and took

them away thinking they were heartwood

and so whatever it he had to make with

hurt would his purpose will not be

served here brahman some clansmen goes

forth out of faith from the home life

into homelessness considering I am a

victim of birth aging and death sorrow

lamentation pain grief and despair I am

a victim of suffering a prey to

suffering surely an end of this whole

mass of suffering can be known when he

has gone forth

thus he acquires me

in honour and renown he is not pleased

with Dean honour and renown and his

intention is not fulfilled he does now

not not on account of it laud himself

and disparage others he arouses desire

to act and he makes an effort for the

realization of those other states that

are higher and more sublime than gain

honour and renown he does not hang back

and slacken he had used the attainment

of virtue he is pleased with the

attainment of virtue and his intention

is fulfilled on account of which he

loves himself and disparages others thus

I am virtuous of good character but

these other monks are immoral of evil

character so he arouses no desire to act

and makes no effort for the realization

of those things those other states that

are higher and more sublime than the

attainment of virtue he hangs back in

slackens I say that this person is like

the man needing heartwood passing over

its heartwood sapwood inner bark cutting

off its outer bark and took it away

thinking it was heartwood so whatever it

was he had to make of with heartwood his

purpose will not be served hare brahmin

some clansmen was forth out of faith

from home

into homelessness considering I'm a

victim of birth aging and death of

sorrow lamentation pain grief and

despair I am a victim of suffering a

parade to suffering surely an ending of

this wholeness of suffering can be known

when he's gone forth he acquires being

honour and renown he is not pleased with

that gain honour and renown and his

intention is not fulfilled he achieves

the attainment of virtue he is pleased

with that attainment of virtue but his

intention is not fulfilled he does not

on account of which laud himself and

disparage others he arouses desire to

act and makes an effort for the

realization of those other states that

are higher and more sublime than the

attainment of virtue he does not hang

back in slacking he achieves the

attainment of collectiveness he's

pleased with the attainment of

collectiveness and his intention is

fulfilled on account of which he nods

himself in disparages others

I am collected my mind is unified but

these other monks are onion o

uncollected with their minds astray so

he arouses no desire

act and makes no effort for the

realization of those other states that

are higher and more sublime then the

attainment of collectiveness he hangs

back and slackens i say that this person

is like a man needing heartwood who

passing over the heartwood and the

sapwood cut off the inner bark and took

it away thinking it was heartwood and so

whatever it was he had to meet with

heartwood his purpose it will not be

served here brahman some clansmen goes

forth out of faith from the home life

into homelessness considering I am a

victim of aging and death sorrow

lamentation pain grief and despair I am

a victim of suffering a prey by that to

suffering surely an ending of this whole

mass of suffering can be known when he

has gone forth

thus he acquires gain honour and renown

he is not pleased with that gain honour

and renown and his intention is not

fulfilled he achieves the attainment of

virtue he is pleased with the attainment

of virtue but his intention is not

fulfilled he achieves the attainment of

collectiveness he is pleased with the

attainment of collectiveness but his

intention is not fulfilled he does now

not on account of

lud himself and disparage others he

arouses desire to act and he makes an

effort for the realization of those

other states that are higher and more

sublime than that attainment of constant

at collectiveness he does not hang back

in slacking he achieves knowledge and

vision he's pleased with that knowledge

and vision and his intention is

fulfilled on account of which he lives

himself in disparages others I live

knowing and seeing but these other monks

live unknowing and unseen so he arouses

no desire to act he makes no efforts for

the realization of those other states

that are higher and more sublime than

knowledge and vision he hangs back I say

this that this person is like the man

needing heartwood who passing over its

heart would cut off at sapwood and took

it away thinking it was heartwood so

whatever it is he had to make with

heartwood his purpose will not have been

served here Brahman some clansmen goes

forth out of a faith from the home life

into homelessness considering I am a

victim of birth aging and death of

sorrow lamentation pain grief and

despair I am a victim

suffering a parade to suffering surely

an ending to this whole mass of

suffering can be known when he has gone

forth us he acquires being honour and

renown he is not pleased with being

honour and renown and his intention is

not fulfilled he achieves the attainment

of virtue he is pleased with the

attainment of virtue but his intention

is not fulfilled he achieves the

attainment of collectiveness he's

pleased with that attainment of

collectiveness but his intention is not

fulfilled yet choose knowledge and

vision he is pleased with knowledge and

vision but his intention is not

fulfilled he does not on account of

which law himself and disparage others

he arouses desires to act and he makes

an effort for the realization of those

other states that are higher and more

sublime the knowledge and vision and he

does not hang back and slacken but what

Brahman are the states that are higher

and more sublime than knowledge and

vision here Brahman quite secluded from

sensual pleasures secluded from

unwholesome States a monk enters upon

and by

in the first jhana which is accompanied

by thinking and examining thought with

joy and happiness born of seclusion this

is the higher that state higher and more

sublime than knowledge and vision again

with the stilling of thinking and

examining thought a monk enters upon and

abides in the second jhana which has

self-confidence and stillness of mind

without thinking and examining thought

with joy and happiness born of

collectiveness this too is the state

higher and more sublime than knowledge

and vision again with the fading away of

joy a monk abides in equanimity mindful

and fully aware still feeling happiness

with the body enters upon and abides in

the third jhana on account of which

noble ones announce he has a pleasant

abiding who has equanimity and is

mindful this too is a state higher and

more sublime than knowledge and vision

again with the abandoning of pleasure

and pain with the previous disappearance

of joy and grief a monk enters upon an

abides in a fourth jhana which has

neither pain nor pleasure and purity of

mindfulness

equanimity this too is a state higher

and more sublime than knowledge and

vision when we're talking about

knowledge and vision we're talking about

study we're talking about understanding

the suitors as they are and you can have

insights and and understand very deeply

but now we're talking about going higher

than that having the direct experience

again with a complete surmounting of

perceptions of gross perceptions of form

with the disappearance of gross

perceptions of sensory impact where that

space is infinite a monk enters upon and

abides in the base of infinite space

this too is a state higher and more

sublime than knowledge and vision again

by completely surmounting the base of

infinite space aware that consciousness

is infinite a monk enters upon and

abides in the base of infinite

consciousness

this too is a state higher and more

sublime than

vision again by completely surmounting

the base of infinite consciousness aware

that there is nothing a monk enters upon

and abides in the base of nothingness

this too is a state higher and more

sublime than knowledge and vision again

by completely surmounting the base of

nothingness a monk enters upon and

abides in the base of neither perception

nor non-perception this too is a state

higher and more sublime than knowledge

and vision again by completely

surmounting the base of neither

perception nor non-perception a monk

enters upon and abides in the cessation

of perception feeling and consciousness

and his tanks are destroyed by his

seeing with wisdom

this too is state higher and more

sublime than knowledge and

vision these are the states that are

higher and more sublime than knowledge

and vision I say that this person

Brahman is like the man meeting

heartwood seeking heartwood wandering in

search of heartwood who came to a great

tree standing possessed of heartwood and

cutting off the heart off his heart

would took it away knowing it was

heartwood and so whatever it was he had

to make with that heartwood his purpose

will be served so this holy life Brahman

does not have gained honor and renowned

for its benefit or for the attainment of

virtue for its benefit or the attainment

of collectiveness for its benefit or

knowledge and vision for its benefit but

it is this unshakeable deliverance of

mind that is a goal of the holy life its

heartwood and its end when this was said

the Brahmin said to the Blessed One

magnificent master goat to my

magnificent master Gautama has made the

Dhamma clear in many ways as though he

were turning upright Wood had been

overturned revealing what was hidden

showing the way to one who was lost and

holding up a lamp in the dark for those

with eyesight

see forms I go to master go to LA for

refuge and to the Dhamma and the Sangha

of monks from today let master Gautama

remember him as a lay follower who has

gone to him for refuge for life this is

an interesting cinta because it really

touches off where many monks are

satisfied with out attaining me bhava

and a lot of them don't even believe

that at navona can be attained in this

lifetime

I was teaching this to a retreat in

North Carolina and teacher that was

running the center

he tried meditation for a few months and

decided that it's impossible to attain

nirvana so he just started memorizing

suit does anybody was really hot stuff

because he could memorize the suit this

but he took my students aside and

started telling them that they were they

were stupid for trying to attain Nevada

it's impossible you just can't do it in

his lifetime and he told him most people

they don't that takes em a hundred

lifetimes to attain nirvana

apparently he hadn't run across the

right kind of instructions and the

meditation as it doesn't take very long

to be able to attain nirvana if you're

taking you're following the right steps

if you're following the directions

closely

so I haven't had any students that have

attained our hardship but I have

students that have attained about how

many times when you're talking about the

noble Sangha it doesn't matter whether

they're monks or laymen the noble Sangha

is people that have at least become a

soda pop or soda panel with fruition or

sakta got me in sakagami with fruition

or Amon got me and I'm endow me with the

fruition so they they've had the

experience of Nevada many times and with

each level of your understanding it

becomes much much clearer the truth of

the Four Noble Truths the truth of the

links of dependent origination the

truths of the five aggregates and the

three characteristics it's really pretty

amazing that when you start seeing these

things directly you see them for

yourself you don't have any more doubts

coming up as to whether it's a right

three got the biggest problem that a lot

of people run into at first when they

become a social pond as they want it to

happen again and they get close to

having it happen again and then they

jump at it because they want they want

that to happen and that kind of longing

is a hindrance so ask yourself what you

have to do in order to let go of that

longing ask yourself the question

because longing makes you try too hard

and you're identifying with it so what

you have to do is trust your intuition

and ask yourself the question what's the

cause and condition for this why am I

being caught by this what can I do to

overcome this problem your intuition

will tell you and it's a quiet little

Royce there was a guy on coast to coast

that's a radio program every night

and he has this guy

runs and he has quite a few different

kinds of people to interview and he had

this one n that was on he was

interviewing that was talking to him

about intuition and how he used his

intuition you know he said it's it's a

quiet voice it's the little voice inside

of you that when you pay attention to

that always gives you the right answer

now he found out about this when he was

in college and he didn't study for any

tests he would get into his intuition

and ask him questions and the answers

came and he got good grades

but he was very clear about asking and

listening for the answer the morning

trust your intuition the faster the

answer comes when you ask your intuition

if you should do something and then you

ignore it then it's not going to come up

so easily it's not going to give you the

answers that you want as quickly you

have to get in the habit of listening to

that quiet little voice so the more you

start to realize that when you have a

hindrance arises and it's a it's a

problem it's a big hindrance it can be

sloth and torpor it can be restlessness

it can be any number of things the way

to figure out how to answer yourself get

your answers for yourself because you

are your own teacher is you have to ask

the question in the right way what's the

cause of this

is this why is this a problem I ran

across this when I first started working

at a Meditation Center

I just taken a one-month retreat and I

was kind of the handyman so I was fixing

windows and taking care of things and

building this and that whatever and a

man came and he was going to be doing a

retreat by himself so the teacher came

to me and said why don't you do the

retreat with him and that will so he

doesn't have to do it alone and that

will help him out and you can certainly

benefit by doing a retreat too and I

thought well this is the reason I'm here

I wanted to do more meditation I want to

learn more but when I started sitting I

started feeling very restless and I'm

not one is prone to restlessness I'm

more prone toward sloth and torpor

and I think kept taking point this is

weird and I was sitting through this

restlessness but it was really hard I

could argue sit still so finally I asked

myself well why am I so Restless this

isn't like me and in that same city an

answer came to me you don't really want

to be sitting in meditation you want to

be fixing this other stuff that's

falling apart and as soon as I saw that

I went oh yeah that's really true so I

might go of all of the thinking and

planning of things that needed to be

done around there and just sat with the

meditation and it turned out to be a

good retreat for me but I had asked

myself I told the teacher that I was

Restless every time I went to the

interview but he didn't know why he

didn't understand how mine worked as

well as it could

but it was a massive lesson to me it was

an insight into what's blocking me why

is it like that

you just asked the question one time you

don't ask it over and over again just

ask it one time and let it go the answer

will come now some of you have told you

to ask a question of yourself and you'll

see what the answer is

sometimes you're putting in a little bit

too much because you have this desire to

have something happen you put a little

bit too much energy into it it's always

fun when people first come for retreat

because they can have a really good city

and then they'll get up and they'll walk

and they'll come back with the thought I

want to have that city continue and they

sit down and then they start complaining

to me because their mind is all over the

place

well why was that because you were

putting in too much effort

you had the longing arise we wanted your

mind to be just like it was the last

city and

the restlessness arose and then what you

tried to do was overcome the

restlessness by trying harder and that

made more restlessness and then you've

come and you started complaining to me

because the meditation didn't work so

good when you have restlessness arising

you need to back off with your energy

don't try so hard when you have sloth

and torpor you need to put more focus on

staying with your object meditation with

interest

now sloth and torpor and restlessness

you better become pretty familiar with

it because it's going to stay around

until you become an RI so you're gonna

have restlessness alright sometimes you

have to learn how to adjust the amount

of energy you're using when your mind is

restless you have to back off a little

bit and I'm talking a little bit tiny

bit and then until your mind settles

down there's there's also something that

says in my

as mu P higher

about restlessness and sloth and torpor

okay

on an occasion when mine becomes

sluggish it is untimely to develop the

awakening factor of Tranquility the

awakening factor of collectiveness the

awakening factor of equanimity

for what reason because mine is sluggish

and it's difficult to arouse it with

those things suppose a man wants to make

a small fire flare up if he throws wet

grass wet cow dung wet timber into it

sprays it with water and scattered soil

over it would he be able to make a small

fire flare up no venerable sir so to a

monk on the occasion when mine become

sluggish its untimely to develop the

awakening factor of tranquillity the

awakening factor of collectiveness the

awakening factor of equanimity for what

reason because mind is sluggish it's

difficult to arouse it with those things

on an occasion month when mind becomes

sluggish it is timely to develop the

awakening factor of investigation of

your experience the awakening factor of

energy the awakening factor of joy for

what reason because mind is sluggish and

it's easy to arouse it with those things

suppose a man wants to make a small fire

flare up he throws dry grass dried cow

dung dry timber into it he blows on

not scatter soil over it would he be

able to make a small fire flare-up yes

sir so on an occasion when mine becomes

sluggish it is timely to develop the

awakening factor of investigation of

your experience the awakening factor of

energy the awakening factor of joy for

what reason because mind is sluggish and

it's easy to arouse it with those things

on an occasion when mine becomes excited

it is untimely to develop the awakening

factor of Investigation of states the

awakening factor of energy the awakening

factor of joy for what reason because

mine is already excited and it's

difficult to comment down with those

things suppose monks a man wants to

extend the extinguish a great bonfire if

he throws dried grass died dry cow done

then dry timber into it blows on it and

does not scatter soil over it would he

be able to extinguish the great bonfire

no venerable sir so - on an occasion

when mine becomes excited it is untimely

to develop the awakening factor of

examination the awakening factor of

energy the

anning factor of joy for what reason

because mine is excited and it's

difficult to calm it down with those

things on an occasion when mine becomes

excited it's timely to develop the

awakening factor of tranquillity the

awakening factor of collectiveness the

awakening factor of equanimity for what

reason because mind is excited and it's

easy to calm it down with those things

suppose a man wants to extinguish a

great bonfire if he throws wet grass wet

cow dung and wet timber and onto it

sprays it with water and scatter soil

over it would he be able to extinguish

the great bonfire

yes venerable sir so - on an occasion

when mind becomes excited it is timely

to develop the awakening factor of

tranquillity the awakening factor of

collectiveness the awakening factor of

the equanimity for what reason because

mind is excited and it's easy to calm it

down with those things

but mindfulness monks is always useful

so that's the seven awakening factors

and how you can use them

quite often I tell people especially

when they're sitting in neither

perception nor non-perception your mind

starts to get a little bit excited bring

up a feeling of tranquility make that

your wish but you still stay with

watching mind and a peaceful calm mind

you've learned how to balance the energy

now in one sitting you're you're you can

have both sloth and torpor and

restlessness arise if you're not

balancing okay so you need a little bit

more interest in how these things arise

when your mind is dull you need to back

off and feel the tranquility feel the

strong equanimity and then that

restlessness will fade away by itself so

this is a pretty interesting thing

working with hindrances never consider a

hindrance as an enemy to fight this it's

there to teach you a lesson

it is your teacher is showing and how

you're applying your energy and you need

to back off sometimes you need

a little bit more sometimes and it might

be in one city and it might be that you

have to adjust you get called for a

while and all of a sudden that

restlessness comes up again you are not

in that jhana wind restlessness arises

or when sloth and torpor arises you're

not in any drama at all you're not in

any any state of attainment why because

the hindrance is there and when the

hindrance is there you have to learn how

to adjust the amount of energy the tree

using so you can get back to that

peaceful calm state without having any

disturbance in your mind at all for long

periods of time it got to be so rapid in

Indonesia that I started telling people

that there are forbidden words and

boredom is the one that I don't want to

hear about who's not not staying with

their object of meditation who's bored

who wants excitement to happen who has

lost their mindfulness

who was causing ourself pain because of

that and I can ask those questions and

the people in Indonesia what they wanted

oh it's me I'm doing it but they're not

realizing that they're just spouting off

words it's when you start adjusting the

amount of energy that you use that

really needs to put things back in

balance so instead of indulging and

onboard investigate see for yourself why

what's what what's the cause of this why

is mind like that mine comes up with all

kinds of different ways to cause

distractions it'll come up with some

fantastic stuff of the colors and all of

these oh I got this blinking lights no

it's so much fun but that's just a

distraction it's just the start of

craving so six are each of those little

blinking lights with interest but not

over interest

see when you go through each one of

these jhanas you're learning more and

more about the energy you need to stay

with your object and meditation and when

you get up into the group with Java's or

over the states I should say now you're

learning how to fine tune and what do

you pay attention more to that fine

tuning that's when the apana occurs it's

pretty simple I didn't say it was easy I

said it was simple it's easy to explain

it but when you get down right down to

the practice of it you have to teach

yourself and you have to ask yourself

what can I do to make this easier what

can I do so that I don't have this

distraction to rise anymore your mind

will telling you and almost always it

has to do with sharpening your

observation power sharpen your

mindfulness a little bit more and ice a

little bit

don't do anything in big measures like

sloth and torpor you see some people

then they start nodding and then all of

a sudden they set up real straight and

they're there for about a minute before

they start swapping back now they're

trying too much energy at one time

they're not investigating how it

occurred

when you investigate it then when that

same kind of feeling arises again you'll

be able to recognize it more quickly

you'll be able to let go of it more

easily okay

so I've been talking for a while do you

have any questions yeah

when you were at

an ounce yeah well because you're

starting to the first three dramas are

what you call emotional drums but you're

starting to let go of the emotion and

the excitement of the joy and the

happiness and that sort of thing you're

starting to have more balance in your

mind that's why that announcement is

there joys and emotion unless you get

into the awakening factor of joy which

doesn't have that excitement in it

well there's no joy in the third one

it's happiness and happiness is a

comfortable feeling in mind and body and

that's where you start losing your

feeling of you're sitting and you don't

notice your hands or you don't notice an

arm like that once you get to the fourth

jhana you don't have a body anymore

don't want to hear about your body that

means you're not staying under object of

meditation you're not doing the six

hours properly oh but I have this pain

yeah okay so that's a painful feeling

they happen I've never run across

anybody in their lifetime that hasn't

had any pain but how much do you fight

with it

how much do you try to control it how

much do you not like it and want to

change it well that makes a pain bigger

and more intense doesn't it but when you

use the six hours properly yeah that

pain is there but so what

your equanimity in each of these

different levels get stronger and

stronger

so even though it's a mental pain that's

coming up that feels like a physical

pain then

you treat it just the way you would

treat anything any kind of distraction

uses six hours allow it to be there by

itself

don't keep your attention on it relax

smile come back to your object of

meditation as you go deeper into your

meditation and you start getting into

these different states where you don't

have a body and you're in a mental realm

the smile doesn't have to be a physical

smile it's a smile in your mind the

smile help a mind to stay light so it's

still important to do the six hours but

when I when your mind is really quiet

for a long period of time

and you see there is starting to be some

little movement or vibration I tell you

just to relax right then but if it

starts to get bigger and starts to pull

your attention away then you need to do

the six artists okay

Nibbana is there I promise it can be

experienced

more attention

try to see it when it first starts to

arise how does it first start to arise

what happens first what happens after

that

it's real easy to do with the gross

sloth and torpor and restlessness back

when you were in the lower lower jhanas

it's really easy to see those but they

get more and more subtle as you go

deeper into the practice so you'd have

to use a little bit more attention a

little bit more interest in how come I

didn't see it very carry now you can't

criticize yourself you can't come down

on yourself because you get caught this

has to be a game and you've played the

game it's a play game it's like these

kids with their their games that they're

playing when they lose what do they do

do they come down on themselves and

start cursing because they lost oh they

just start over again

that's the time

we want to develop

the more you have a sense of fun the

easier the meditation becomes that's why

I told you when you first got here I

want you to smile I want you to laugh I

want you to have fun isn't that odd but

look at how sneaky I am by saying that

because it's gonna help you all along

with practice and this is a fun

meditation and it's incredibly

interesting unless you get so serious

with it that you have I've got to

accomplish this or that now it's not so

much fun anymore you're taking it too

seriously

you can laugh you can cry your choice

it's more fun to laugh have a light

light you've got another question

tranquility is just a feeling of very

deep peace equanimity has balance

there's absolutely no excitement in a

mind that has drawn me or the mentee no

excitement at all it doesn't matter what

happens your mind just doesn't wobble

and go to it it just stays balanced okay

that happened that's fine they can be

there and when you have a painful

feeling arise equanimity is the one that

you need so you okay that pain is there

so what but when you start getting

excited about it and taking it

personally and wanting it to stop and

wanting it to change

there's no equanimity there at all

of each one of the different levels of

meditation if you are actually different

meditations we love them all together

but there's the first jhana is very much

different from the second jhana

the second jhana is very much different

from the third jhana the fourth jhana is

a lot different than any of the other

jhanas and you have something different

happen in each level of your

understanding and that's how you should

be watching for the balance of energy

that you use to stay with whatever in it

with whatever object you're staying with

okay anything else

so there anything you feel body it's not

a pain in your back it's a pain in your

mind that means that your mindfulness

wasn't sharp enough to see it first

arise and 6re and you let it get bigger

and more intense you're doing it to

yourself and if you don't have a body

how can you have a body in the back how

can you have pain in your back you still

don't have a body

you are in a mental realm

one of the things that's a difference

between a lot of people from the east

and people from the West is people and

these two have they pay a lot more

attention to their body than the

Westerners do it used to drive me crazy

to try to convince you to stop doing

that see it for what it is what's the

first thing you read in the Dhammapada

the first verse Oh does that say

Bobby's anywhere

how's it arise what happens first your

mindfulness gets weak I'm bored

well take it take an interest it's

incredibly interesting but your mind

gets a little bit lazy then these

hindrances arise but you're doing it to

yourself don't come and complain to me

I'm not doing that to you I might put

you through some changes so you can see

things more clearly but you're doing it

to yourself okay

may suffering ones be suffering free and

the fear struck fear this be mainly the

grieving at all grief and male being

find relief may all be here this merit

that made thus acquired for the

acquisition of all kinds of happiness

any beings inhabiting face and earth

Ava's and matters of mighty power share

this merit of ours may they don't

protect the Buddhist dispensations

[Music]