Correct Dharma practice: pure mindfulness

Ajahn Chah (ajahnchah.org) via Ven. Sujato, Ellie Askew, Dhr. Seven (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly

This cyclic samsara never ends on its own.

Humans are blind to what is free of rebirth. The human heart is blind to it. So the heart repeatedly passes it by, skips over it, neglects it until our chance is gone.

The Middle Way traveled by the Buddha -- that is, the Path of correct Dhamma practice -- transcends rebirth. Why? It does so because the mind that is released is the one that is beyond both the wholesome and the unwholesome.

This is the path of a peaceful sage. If we do not travel it, we’ll never be at peace, never be a sage like the Buddha. That transcendent peace will never get a chance to bloom.

Why? It is because of rebirth. It is because there’s rebirth and redeath in an endless cycle. The path of the Buddha is free birth and death. There’s no low and no high. There’s no happiness and no suffering. There’s no good and no evil. This is the straight path.

This is the path of peace and stillness. It’s peacefully free of pleasure and pain, happiness and sorrow. This is how to practice Dhamma. Experiencing this, the mind can stop. It can stop asking questions.

There’s no longer any need to search for answers. Here! This is why the Buddha said that the Dhamma is for the wise who come to know directly for themselves. There’s no need to ask anybody.

We will come to know and see clearly for ourselves without a shred of doubt: Things are exactly as the Buddha said they are.