Woken by the new but relatively old pain friend, and a newer pain friend introduced by the dentist, still breathing, I gazed at my phone shining with words of our teacher,
" ‘Whenever you have feelings of love or hate for anything whatsoever, these will be your aides and partners in building parami (perfection/virtue).
The Buddha-Dharma is not to be found in moving forwards, nor in moving backwards, nor in standing still. This is your place of non-abiding’.
It still gives me goose bumps. A few weeks later, Ajahn Chah had a stroke and became unable to speak, walk, or move.
His verbal teaching career was over.
This letter to [Ajahn Sumedho] contained his final instructions.”
I’ve heard this recounted before, but reading the words somehow struck my heart deeply and tears started to trickle down my cheeks. This is your place of non-abiding.
When we are busy going forward or backwards, becoming somebody or nobody, accomplishing goals or giving up, getting more or getting rid of, we forget the place of non-abiding. We don’t need to go out to look for it; we don’t need to get in a MRI machine to find it. We can watch neurons fire like summer fireflies, measure dopamine’s ebbs and flows mistaking peak for pleasure, capture thalamic thunder thinking that is the reality.
Simply pause, what’s here? Something no machine can show.
Comentarios