Q4. How Is Non-clinging Put into Practice?
~ By Buddhadāsa Bhikkhu ~
If you meet someone who asks by what means one may practice the essence of Buddhism, you can again answer by quoting the Buddha. We don’t have to answer with our own ideas. The Buddha explained how to practice in succinct and complete terms. When seeing a visual object, just see it. When hearing a sound with the ears, just hear it. When smelling an odor with the nose, just smell it. When tasting something by way of the tongue, just taste it. When experiencing a tactile sensation by way of the general skin and body sense, just experience that sensation. And when a mental object, such as a sorrowful thought, arises in mind, just know that mood of sorrow.
Let’s go over it again for those of you who have never heard this before. When seeing, just see! If at all possible, in seeing, just see. When listening, just hear; when smelling an odor, just smell the odor; in tasting, just taste; in detecting a tactile sensation through the skin and body, just experience that sensation; and on the arising of a mental object in mind, just be aware of it. This means not adding to the experience by concocting an ego out of it. The Buddha taught that when one practices like this, ego will not exist; and the non-existence of ego is the end of suffering (dukkha).
The words, ‘When seeing a visual object, just see it’ need explaining. When objects make contact with the eye, observe and recognize them; know what to do about whatever is seen. But don’t stir up loving or hating. If you create loving, you will desire; if you create hating, you will want to destroy. Thus, it is that there are lovers and haters. This is what is called ‘ego’ or ‘self.’ To let egoism proceed is suffering and mistaken. When something is seen, let there be intelligence and awareness. Don’t allow your mental defilements to compel you to grasp and cling. Cultivate enough intelligence to know which line of action is right and appropriate. And if no action is required, have equanimity. If you want some sort of result from this thing, then proceed with full awareness and intelligence, not giving birth to ego. In this way, you will get the result you want and no suffering arises. This is a concise principle of practice, and should be regarded as most excellent.
The Buddha taught this to the ascetic Bāhiya: When seeing, just see. When hearing, just hear. When smelling an odor, just smell. When tasting, just taste. When experiencing a tactile sensation, just experience. When sensing something in mind, just sense. Let things stop right there and insight will function automatically. Take the course that is right and fitting. Don’t give birth to ‘the lover’ or ‘the hater.’ If we desire to act in accordance with that liking or disliking, that is ego birth. Such a mind is turbulent, isn’t free, and functions without any insight at all. The Buddha instructed Bāhiya and also Māluṅkyāputta along these lines.
Why haven’t we mentioned virtue, meditation, insight, doing good, or alms-giving in connection with the most fruitful practice? These are helpful conditions, but they aren’t the heart of Dhamma, not the essential matter. We do good, give alms, observe morality, develop concentration, and gain insight to have the balance and naturalness recommended to Bāhiya. To simply see while seeing something and simply hear when hearing something is to be balanced and natural. We will have stability, unshakeability, and equilibrium regarding sense objects of every kind that touch us in any pos sible way and by every sensory route, such that ego doesn’t arise. Doing good and alms-giving are means of getting rid of ego. Observing ethics is a way to have mastery over ego, as is meditation practice. Acquiring knowledge and wisdom serves to destroy ego. Here, we aren’t speaking of several different matters; we are speaking of one urgent everyday matter. Our eyes see this and that, our ears hear this and that, our nose smells odors, and so on for all six sense channels. If we guard these six channels, we guard everything. This single practice covers all practices comprehensively. It is the very essence of Dhamma practice. If you meet a foreigner who asks how to practice, answer in this way.
(From “Buddha-Dhamma for Inquiring Minds”)
- - ❖ - -
Buddha-Dhamma for Students (title of original translation) was composed of two talks given by Ajahn Buddhadāsa in January 1966 to students at Thammasat University, Bangkok. It was translated from the Thai by Rod Bucknell, and revised in 2018 by Santikaro Upasaka. To read/download as free ebook (pdf).
- - ❖ - -
For all English retreat talks, visit Buddhadāsa Bhikkhu.
For more information and free ebooks, visit Suan Mokkh – The Garden of Liberation.
Photo: Buddhadāsa Indapañño Archives D-125