Ajahn Chah: A Path with Heart

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

Fierce Heart (Spring Washam)

The way of developing the heart as taught by the Buddha is the exact opposite of the way of the world. Why? It's because his teachings come from a pure heart. A pure heart, unattached to defilements, is the Way of the Buddha and his disciples.

If we practice the Dharma, we must bow our hearts to the Dharma. We must not make the Dharma bow to us. When we practice this way, suffering arises.

There isn’t a single person who can escape this suffering. So when we commence our practice, suffering is right there.
 

Jack Kornfield trained with Ajahn Chah.

A meditator's duties are to develop mindfulness, collectedness (samadhi), and contentment. Why? These things stop us.

They stop the habits of the hearts of those who have never trained. Why should we bother to do this? If we don’t bother to train our heart, then it remains wild, following the ways of nature. It’s possible to train that nature so that it can be used to advantage.