Page 123 - Extinguishment of self, in search of dhamma

conditions that impact us make our mind displeased a little. But, as we contemplate, it (the feeling) ceases. Displeasure emerges then ceases. That is a displeasure that emerges brie y. But, overall, we feel serene then we feel happy. This is our true state of mind. Other than this, they are just external natural conditions that move in brie y, that is all.
Sometimes we pay too much attention to eeting and temporary natural conditions. Then, we become anxious about eeting natural conditions—do not emerge, do not emerge. But, the principal natural conditions that are good, we overlook. This makes our mind lack strength. Therefore, a eeting natural condition is a eeting natural condition. It enters then ceases. But, observe our existing selves, our genuine state of mind—how do we really feel? If we come back and experience our state of mind here, our mind will gain strength. It is like coming back home, coming back to our abode. Fleeting natural conditions are like blowing wind, glaring sunshine, falling rain—they come and they go, they come and they go. They are temporary—this is how we should contemplate.
(A practitioner asks: “The state of mind that Pra Ajarn teaches—do they change naturally or could we choose them?”) We can choose—we can choose our state of mind. When elevating the mind, it is like we are choosing which state of mind we want. The injection of happiness is the alteration of our state of mind. When we
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