Page 9 - EH72

LEAD ARTICLE | EASTERN HORIZON 7

yourself pushing to get rid of believed (or objected to), but tested that it was a worthwhile tradeoff!
something, consider whether that is in our own experience.
truly wise. So, it is best to let people follow
How do we ensure that an their own path. As noted in the
On the other hand, the mind attitude of simplicity does not Dhammapada (v. 50), “Do not
easily tries to justify its comforts. result in inaction or complacency consider the faults of others, or
The Buddha also asked us to in our lives? what they have or haven’t done.
use discernment as to whether Consider rather what you yourself
something is truly necessary. One This again relates to discernment. have or haven’t done.”
function of the monastic sangha is Complacency is a “near enemy” of
to set an example of living simply, contentment, meaning something I have great trust that mindfulness
which challenges our assumptions that resembles it, but is actually will be self-correcting in the long
about what is materially necessary. unwholesome. run. A person may go through
periods of excessive quietude or
It is often the case that we are The Buddha was once accused complacency, but these cannot
nourished by a certain comfort for a by a farmer of living a lazy life persist forever because the opening
while, and then later it becomes an – receiving almsfood without of the heart through deep practice
impediment to the path and needs doing work. He responded with will restore balance. If we continue
to be let go. When my teacher moved an extended metaphor of how to observe and investigate honestly
to a monastery in a cold place with his practice makes him a worthy our own actions and mind, the
hot springs, he at first found himself plowman. “Faith is the seed… “wrinkles” – places where we are
deeply enjoying the hot water during wisdom is my yoke and plow… going too far in some direction –
bath time. Later, he noticed that he mindfulness my plowshare and will be smoothed out.
got in and out quickly and had no goad… energy my beast of burden.
interest in luxuriating. He didn’t … In such a way this plowing is done Can you share your personal
need that comfort anymore and had which bears the deathless as its experience how a simple life has
naturally let it go. fruit.” (Sn 1.4) led you to joy and happiness?

If he had at first denied himself For laypeople, devotion to a life Twenty years ago, I had an office
the natural enjoyment of warmth of practice is similarly active and job. It was a good job with a decent
in a cold place, he may have felt engaged. Outer simplicity is meant company and a competent boss, but
the dukkha of dismissing his own to support a greater richness of I was not able to live close to my
well-being. But if he had clung our inner life, where we actively deepest values. This took an inner
to the enjoyment after it was no cultivate wholesome qualities and toll on me that felt stressful.
longer serving him, he would have skillful meditation.
experienced other forms of dukkha, I used a week of vacation time to sit
such as irritation when his bath was In the end, a person’s “inaction or a retreat, during which I touched
delayed by monastery duties or by complacency” can only be known a calling in my heart more directly
other people using the space. by them, not by others looking from than I ever had before. I knew that
the outside. The wording of this I needed to follow that spiritual
If we can be mindful of a transition question might suggest that retreat calling as a matter of supporting my
between needing and not needing or contemplation is passive and self- own health. Since the job did not
a certain comfort, we will discover serving. Recall that the Buddha-to-be offer sufficient vacation time for the
that the joy of genuine letting go withdrew completely from society retreats I wanted to do, I eventually
exceeds any material enjoyment for seven years to walk the path to left the fulltime working world to
we could have. This is not to be full liberation. I think we can agree devote more time to the Dharma.