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THE WAY OF NON-ATTACHMENT
Sometimes we may wonder why we have difficulty in meditation. We must find out, otherwise we shall make this an excuse for not meditating, saying, "I cannot meditate properly". Is it really difficult, or is there only a feeling of difficulty? The mind makes a lot of excuses, and we must not be misled by its tricks.The Practice of Insight Meditation by DHIRAVAMSA Excerpt CUTTING DOWN THE FOREST BUT NOT A SINGLE TREE It will mean something if we take meditation as a process of cutting down a forest, but not a tree. It is not a kind of riddle to say this it is a fact. Meditation is the process of cutting down the forest within us, and in this process we do not cut down the tree of essence. What is the meaning of "forest"? It could mean something like barbarism, referring to the thickets, shrubberies, coppices and tangled undergrowth all complicating influences. Also it could refer to dirt and dust. The inner eye is full of dust and the inner life is full of dirt. What does a forest look like? Look into yourself and see all the complications within you, then you will be able to clear them away. We should cut them down, burn them down, and then blow them away, leaving the inner world a clean and joyful place. We shall enjoy staying in such a world because it has clarity and purity, like a pure room from which we can be creative in the outer world. It is essential for the mind to experience purity if not very often at first, at least once a day, or more depending upon our capacity. It is said that some of the older monks wept when the old woman who used to give them food and help them died. They felt lost because nobody would look after themso their grief was selfish, it was not on behalf of the woman but because of their own needs. So the Buddha said to them," cut down the forest, but not a single tree. Having cut down the forest and its brushwood, you should be forestless men." This is very meaningful in meditation, because we look into ourselves to find out what is happening both on the conscious and unconscious levels. At first we may face the conscious thoughts and feelings we are familiar with, but later the contents of the unconscious mind may come to the surface. This may be more difficult to confront, because we may not have known such experiences before. In the earlier stages of meditation, we may become very disturbed, because we are convinced that we ought to be concentrating and not carried away by our thought and memories, or by our environment. But we should allow these things to come up, because our mind must flow at first. It cannot cease at once. So what should we do? We have to look at our thoughts and see them for what they are whether they belong to the forest. If we cannot face these disturbances and unpleasant reactions, fear may arise and we may feel we cannot go on alone. But in the process of cutting down the forest, we must go on alone. You may feel secure sitting in a group of people together, but when sitting alone in your room you may feel insecure and fearful. At this level, the awareness is not very strong, so that the mind can create more fearful things. Instead of going deeper into the object or process, the mind turns away and returns to thinking, rejecting, imagining, and distractions for its own purpose. This escape marks the end of meditation at that moment. But if you remain a passive observer, looking at and into what is going on within and outside you, all disturbances become the objects of your attention. In this process, you do not judge, compare, or condemn anything. This is essential. For instance, if you compare your meditation practice today with that of yesterday, or last year, you may recall a past experience of peace and be disappointed that now you have lost it. Comparisons like this are irrelevant, and lead to problems. The mind tends to concern itself with "progress", but in the spiritual sense progress cannot be measured because it is not a material thing. In spiritual development, there is only perfection, and until that is reached we should just get on with our work without thoughts of progress or non progress. When you mediate you are taking a journey through life, in which the whole forest will be cut down and your single tree can be planted, which you nourish with Wisdom and do not wish to cut down. When people do not understand the true value of this kind of tree, the tree of essence, they may in error cut it down before it reaches its maturity. Such people take material advancement and mundane prosperity as the measurement for life. In fact, these things give life a certain amount of comfort, and without some degree of this the inner life cannot be developed, but any attachment to them hinders development. When we are aware of something deeper, more meaningful, we shall not cling to this tree, but understand that it will reach its own perfection if we carry out our task of clearing away the undergrowth and brushwood. The single tree is a blissful thing to live with, and when we come to that stage, the "we" disappears. There is perfection, and it cannot be divided into two otherwise it would not be perfection. In our pattern of language, there must be subject and object going on together yet through words we can look beyond and see their meaning, without carrying the words with us. Sariputta, when he was a young man, met a monk called Assaji walking for alms-food during the time of the Buddha, and he thought him very wise and believed that he would be able to speak and explain the details of the Buddha's teaching. But when asked, Assaji perceived a great intelligence in that young man, and said he was still new to the Teaching and could not explain it at length. So Sariputta asked him not to bother about the words, but to please tell him just the meaning. This Assaji did. And later he became the right-hand disciple of the Buddha, the disciple of great wisdom. So the meaning is far more important than the words, but the words could lead to the meaning. I do not reject this view. But the essential thing is not to cling to words, and not to acquire fixed ideas about their meanings and definitions. We have to approach each word anew, with a fresh mind, a mind free from beliefs and biases which would otherwise block our seeing. If we are open enough, we will be able to see and understand the new, and something within us will tell us what is true. If we can be aware of our own supremacy without feeling superior, perfection can be achieved and man can work positively towards his fulfillment. If we can understand this our whole life will be changed. From being unhappy, you will become happy, because within you will be bliss and understanding. By undertanding yourself, you will be able to live peacefully; by understanding others you will be able to live with them in a positive compassionate manner. When you understand, you can forgive and love. If you can see the level of someone's development, you will not blame or hate him for his faults or mistakes. If we become aware of the potential understanding within us, we shall give our whole attention to fulfilling it and becoming enlightened. In enlightenment, eveything is realised according to reality, without anxiety or resistance. The conditions working behind conflicts have been uprooted. If our conflicts are deeply rooted within us, we cannot remove them at once. Look at them objectively time and again, and each time you will wash a little away, clearing away the dust until it completely disappears. Some people may do this more quickly than others, because they are stronger. But for everyone the method is the same looking objectively at what is occurring so that the Eye of Wisdom can develop to give a clear vision of the truth. This can be done anywhere, because the forest exists everywhere. I invite all of you to do this work of "cutting down the forest but not a single tree"! Colveyco Reading Room Purchase this book through Amazon.com: The Way of Non-Attachment: The Practice of Insight Meditation |