[Piemonedmow]

Found some helpful insights of Ajahn Buddhadasa:


On Mindfulness


MINDFULLY AVOIDING THE BIRTH OF ATTA in every step & stage of paticca-samuppàda and with the five khandha is the entire practice of Dhamma on the essential or higher level. Thus, be mindful and don't allow attà in anything or in any circumstances.


VIJJA NATURALLY GETS RID OF AVIJJA in the stream of paticca-samuppàda from its start to its end through the activity called "sati." If there is no sati, vijjà is meaningless. Consequently, train sati sufficiently and quickly."


PEOPLE WHO LACK SATI MUST CHASE AFTER DHAMMA but Dhamma chases after people who have sati. Therefore, you ought to develop and accumulate sati. You will gradually be perfected in Dhamma and will realize the end of dukkha and all problems.


KILESA OCCUR IN THE MIND WITHOUT DHAMMA, just as rust appears on the iron that is not properly protected. There are many things that encourage rust, just as there are many conditions for kilesa. Consequently, have sufficient Dhamma, the rightness for the non-arising of kilesa.


SATI IS THE MEANS TO PROTECT AGAINST THE BAIT OF DEFILEMENT, but common people consider sati to be a minor matter and let things go the easy way just as they let metal go to rust. So don't fool around with sati.


SATI SABBATTHA PATTHIYA is an article of practice that protects against kilesa or dukkha or problems in all circumstances. Thus, we should promote mindfulness to our highest ability.


SATI GATHERS TOGETHER EVERYTHING CORRECT & SAFE! Mindlessness is to be a zombie. Every action must be guarded with mindfulness, otherwise one becomes a walking corpse or somebody sleep walking in broad daylight.


MINDFULNESS IS DIFFICULT BECAUSE PHASSA IS NOTED ON ONLY ONE LEVEL. The problem is that it is difficult to note anattà in the arammana that strike (the senses). This is because we don't know how to note both levels of phassa. The level of patighasamphassa (mere contact) is to be aware merely of color or sound; once there is adhivacanasamphassa (stipulating contact) the meaning or value is known. Right here it is possible for sati to note the fact of anattà in time. We consider patighasamphassa to be "literal" and adhivacana-samphassa to be "essential." There's enough of a chance to note anattà in the nick of time.


AVIJJA IS THE PROPERTY OF FOOLS, so it can only confuse fools. Consequently, fools have a self created by avijjà. Disturbance obscures voidness without being able to harm it in the least way. As soon as avijjà disappears, voidness appears by itself automatically.

[From Three Months of Illness Made This Book, pg. 54-55]





On Nibbána (from the notebooks)

Nibbána in a Direct, Broad, & Most Concise Sense:

nibbàna = "state" that is without anything oppressive or harmful
[both physically and mentally, both oneself and others]

nibbàna = "state" that is without anything to be suffered or endured,
whether physically, mentally, or spiritually.

nibbàna = "state" that is without any dukkha,
both directly, and secretly-profoundly.

nibbàna = cool : the quenching of heat
however many levels, however many kinds.
………………………………………



Why is the Way to Nibbàna So Long?


Why is the way to nibbàna so long? Simply because the stupidity (avijjà ) in our own heads is so long.


Just try to shrink the length of the stupidity in our own heads so that it shortens, the way to nibbà na will shorten all by itself.


Shrink avijjà by genuinely and increasingly studying impermanence, dukkha-ness, and not-self, including also suññatà and tathatà : the way to nibbàna will shorten without a doubt!


As soon as one sees the luminous mind, temporary nibbàna manifests bit by bit. Once realizing tathatà, nibbàna is here and now.



http://www.suanmokkh.org/archive/nbooks/n-index.htm

[erepsysoulperj]

Thanks very much, Craig.

I particularly liked this:


AVIJJA IS THE PROPERTY OF FOOLS, so it can only confuse fools. Consequently, fools have a self created by avijjà. Disturbance obscures voidness without being able to harm it in the least way. As soon as avijjà disappears, voidness appears by itself automatically.