Only One Hole Open

Focus your heart in your heart. Make mindfulness continuous. Get the mind to calm down its preoccupations, leaving just awareness.

Like Tuccho Potthila: He went to learn the Dhamma from a novice. The novice taught him that there’s a termite nest with six openings. You want to catch the lizard hiding in the hollow inside the termite nest, so what do you do? You close off five of the holes and leave open only one hole, so that you can catch the lizard when it comes out.

In other words, leave your eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body alone, and be aware right at the heart. That’s what it means to focus your heart in your heart.

The same today: To catch all your awareness and gather it in together, you have to practice restraint of the senses. You restrain your eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind. Let go of the entire body, and simply be aware at the heart. This is called focusing your heart in your heart.

Source:
It’s Like This
Venerable Ajahn Chah
Translated from the Thai by Thanissaro Bhikkhu