The Brick Oven (Ajahn Chah)

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

WARNING: For health and beauty avoid wheat, rye, barley, and oats (toxic gluten, which in oats is called avenin). Bake bricks, not gluten.

Every feeling can lead to wisdom.

If some feeling makes an impression on the mind, don’t simply disregard it. It’s like baking bricks.

Have you ever seen a brick oven? They build a fire about two or three feet in front of the oven so that all of its smoke and heat are drawn into it, and none stays outside.

All the heat then goes into the oven and quickly gets the job done.

People who practice the Dharma (the Buddha's teaching on gaining enlightenment in this very life) ought to be like a brick oven. All our feelings will then be drawn inward to be turned into right view.

Seeing sights, hearing sounds, smelling scents, tasting flavors, and [receiving mental impressions], the mind draws everything inward.

Feelings [sensations] in this way become experiences that give rise to wisdom.