There was once a monk I met who told me he was a real meditator. He asked for permission to stay with me here and inquired about the schedule and standard of monastic discipline. I explained to him that in this monastery we live according to the Vinaya, the Buddha’s code of monastic discipline, and if he wanted to come and train with me he’d have to renounce his money and private supplies of goods. He told me his practice was “non-attachment to all conventions.” I told him I didn’t know what he was talking about. “How about if I stay here,” he asked, “and keep all my money but don’t attach to it. Money’s just a convention.” I said sure, no problem. “If you can eat salt and not find it salty, then you can use money and not be attached to it.” He was just speaking gibberish. Actually he was just too lazy to follow the details of the Vinaya. I’m telling you, it’s difficult. “When you can eat salt and honestly assure me it’s not salty, then I’ll take you seriously. And if you tell me it’s not salty then I’ll give you a whole sack to eat. Just try it. Will it really not taste salty? Non-attachment to conventions isn’t just a matter of clever speech. If you’re going to talk like this, you can’t stay with me.” So he left.
- Unshakable Peace (Ajahn Chah)
No comments:
Post a Comment