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MZC: Achaan Chah talks about liberation depending on the recognition of the radical separateness of awareness, the "one who knows and the five skandas" (form, feeling, perception, volition, consciousness). I question this. How can we separate the one who knows and what is known? The meditator, according to Achan Cha, separates awareness from the object and can focus on the awareness.
Through all the stages with my teacher, I felt times of joy. My teacher taught me not to have expectations; rather just to practice, to be content at all the stages of the practice just as it would unfold, to be in the moment. You don't say: "I'm trying hard to be enlightened." You don't focus on a future goal. So much of Vipassana is to accept things just as they are, not to want things to be different. Experience exactly what you are experiencing. The Pali word, khanti, patience, has a deep meaning: that you just trust the unfolding of reality, to accept life and consciousness as they come to you.
I decided that if I want to go deeper into Buddhism, I need to be ordained a monk; I wanted to dedicate my life to it. So I ordained in 1991 and spent five years with my preceptor. We started coming to Mexico and started this monastery in 1999.
When I arrived, Bhante G, welcomed me to the monastery and retreat center in the same warm manner that all serious seekers are welcomed in theravada Buddhist organizations, by never charging fees and only asking that the seeker meditate seriously and help in the community however he or she can.
Lay followers generally engaged in this kind of worship. Monks and nuns also worshiped these objects, but with a different goal in mind. They worshiped these objects in a kind of meditation, to be reminded of the Buddha's teaching.
As his business trousers looked loose enough, I asked Harvey to remove his shoes and jacket only. As he looked a little puzzled, I told him that he will not even have a crease in his pants. And not only will he feel relaxed, but also energized and ready for the rest of the day.
MZC: Did you go to Burma? What was your impression of the monks there? As a visitor, I can feel a sense of tranquility here in the monastery; I see that people are practicing sitting and walking meditation. There's a tangible quality one can feel when people come together to focus on understanding themselves with openness, with a sense of freshness.
Siddhartha Gautama believed that he had attained a state of being, where he fully understood all of the ins and outs of the human condition. He referred to this level as 'nirvana,' which meant that the termination of his desires ended all of his suffering. He began to spread the word, claiming that through his teachings, this state of bliss could be achieved.