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NO AJAHNCHAH ---Reflections---- |
45. Conditions exist through change. You can't prevent it. Just think, could you exhale without inhaling? Would it feel good? Or could you just inhale? We want things to be permanent, but that can't be. It's impossible. 46. If you know that all things are impermanent, all your thinking will gradually unwind, and your won't need to think too much. Whenever anything arises, all you need to say is "Oh, another one!" Just that! 47. Any speech which ignores uncertainty is not the speech of a sage. 48. If you really see uncertainly clearly, you will see that which is certain. The certainly is that things must inevitably be uncertain and that they cannot be otherwise . Do you understand? Knowing just this much, you can know the Buddha, you can rightly do reverence to him. 49. If your mind tries to tell you it has already attained the level of sotapanna, go and bow to a sotapanna He'll tell you himself it's all uncertain. If you meet a sakadagami, go and pay respects to him. When he sees you, he'll simply say , "Not a sure thing!" If there's an anagami , go and bow to him . He'll tell you only one thing, "Uncertain! " If you meet even an arahant, go and bow to him. He'll tell you even more firmly, "It's all even more uncertain! " You'll hear the words of the Noble Ones: Everything is uncertain. Don't cling to anything!" 50. Sometimes I'd got o see old religious sites with ancient temples. In some places they would be cracked. Maybe one of my friends would remark, " Such a shame, isn't it? It's cracked." I'd answer, "if they weren't cracked there'd be no such thing as the Buddha. There'd be no Dhamma. It's cracked like this because it's perfectly in line with the Buddha's teaching." 51. Conditions all go their own natural way. Whether we laugh or cry over them, they just go their own way. And there is no knowledge of science which can prevent this natural course of things. You may get a dentist to look at your teeth , but even if they can fix them , they still finally go their natural way . Eventually even the dentist has the same trouble . Everything fall apart in the end. 52. What can we take for certain? Nothing! There's nothing but feelings. Suffering arise, stay, then passes away. Then happiness replaces suffering - only this. Outside of this, there is nothing. But we are lost people running and grabbing at feelings continuously . Feelings are not real, only changes. | ||||
V.Heart and Mind | VI.Impermanence | VII.Kamma | VIII.Meditation Practise | IX.Non-Self X.Peace | XI.Suffering | XII.Teacher | XIII.Understanding and Wisdom | XIV.Virtue XV.Miscellaneous | Invitation | Glossary | ||||
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