Ajahn Chah: This Path is actually short

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

Go in search of a still forest pool, sit still, and watch. (Isalo Nat'l Park, Madagascar)

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Let nature be nature! (PM)

Practice letting go. You don't have to become a stream-winner or a once-returner [success in practice of attaining the first two stages of enlightenment].

You don't have to make those the things you're "supposed" to do. You don't have to be those things. If you are anything, it's turmoil.

If you are this or are that, you are a "problem." So you don't have to be anything.

There's nothing but letting go -- letting go then knowing in line with what things do. When you know in line with what things do in every way, there's no more doubt. And you aren't anything.

Think about it in a simple way. If someone yells at you but you don't rear up in response, that's the end of the matter. It doesn't reach you.

But if you grab hold of it and won't let go, you're in a bad way. Why put their words into yourself? If they yell at you, just leave it at that.

But if they yell at you over there and you bring it into your ears while sitting here, it's as if you like to suffer. This is called misunderstanding suffering. You stir things up with thinking and give rise to all kinds of issues.

Still Forest Pool: Insight of Ajahn Chah

The practice is actually something short, not at all long. If you say it's long, it's longer than long.

If you say it's short, it's shorter than short. When it comes to this practice, you can't use your ordinary ways of thinking.

You need to have patience and endurance. You need to make an effort. Whatever happens, you don't have to pick it up and carry it around.

When things are a certain way, that's all they are. When we see the Dharma in this way, we don't hold onto anything. Pleasure we know. Pain we know.