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6 EASTERN HORIZON | LEAD ARTICLE

distinct from the rest of life. He spoke about maintaining gravel. I know this is important work for us to do, but
a continuity of practice whether one was walking, the work of meditation is also very important. Tan
standing, sitting, or lying down. The same was true for Sumedho has asked me if he can practice meditation
eating, using the bathroom, and working. The point was while we build the road, and I have told him that this
always to sustain a continuity of awareness. He used to is absolutely all right. I do not want any of you to think
say, “If your peace rests on the meditation mat, when any critical thoughts of him. It is absolutely all right
you leave the mat you leave your peace behind.” with me. He can stay alone and meditate, and we will
continue building the road.”
Ajahn Chah was once given a piece of forested land
on a hilltop in his home province. The very generous Ajahn Chah was out there from dawn until dusk. When
supporter who had donated it said to him, “If you can he wasn’t working on the road, he was receiving guests
find a way to make a road up to the top of the mountain, and teaching Dharma. So he was really cranking it out.
I will build a monastery there for you.” Always up for In the meantime, Ajahn Sumedho stayed alone and
a challenge of this nature, Ajahn Chah spent a week or meditated. He felt pretty bad on the first day and even
two on the mountain and found a pathway up. He then worse on the second. By the third day, he couldn’t stand
moved the entire monastic community out there to it any longer. He felt tortured and finally left his solitude.
make the road. He rejoined the monks, broke rocks, carried gravel, and
really gave himself to the work.
Ajahn Sumedho was a recently arrived monk. He had
been there a year or two by this time and was a very Ajahn Chah looked at the enthusiastic young monk with
serious meditator. He hadn’t been keen to leave the a foot-wide grin and asked, “You enjoying the work,
settled life at the main monastery, Wat Nong Pah Pong, Sumedho?”
but he joined in and there he was—breaking rocks
“Yes, Luang Por.” “
in the sun, pushing barrows of rubble around, and
working hard with the rest of the community. After two
Isn’t it strange that your mind is happier now in
or three days, he was getting hot, sweaty, and cranky.
the heat and the dust than it was when you were
At the end of the day, after a 12-hour shift, everyone
meditating alone?”
would sit down to meditate and would be reeling. Ajahn
Sumedho thought, “This is useless. I’m wasting my time. “Yes, Luang Por.”
My meditation has fallen apart completely. This is not
The lesson? Ajahn Sumedho had created a false division
helping the holy life at all.”
about what meditation is and isn’t, when in fact,
He carefully explained his concerns to Ajahn Chah: “I’m there is no division at all. When we give our hearts to
finding that all the work we are doing is harmful to my whatever we do, to whatever we experience, or to what
meditation. I really think it would be much better for me is happening around us, without personal agendas or
if I didn’t take part in it. I need to do more sitting and preferences taking over, the space of rigpa, the space of
walking meditation, more formal practice. That would awareness, is exactly the same.
be very helpful for me and it’s what I think would be for
The Buddha Is Awareness
the best.”
Ajahn Chah’s teachings also parallel Dzogchen in regard
Ajahn Chah said, “Okay, Sumedho. Yes, you can do that.
to the nature of the Buddha. When you come right down
But I’d better inform the Sangha so that everyone knows
to it, awareness is not a thing. Nevertheless, it is an
what’s happening.” He could be really wicked in this way.
attribute of the fundamental nature of mind. Ajahn Chah
At the Sangha meeting he said, “I want to make an would refer to that awareness, that knowing nature of
announcement to everybody. Now, I know that we have mind, as Buddha: “This is the true Buddha, the one who
all come up here to make this road. And I know that knows (poo roo).” The customary way of talking about
we are all working hard at breaking rocks and carrying awareness for both Ajahn Chah and other masters of