How To Not Waste Time | Online Retreat Oct 2024
by Ajahn Anan
Ajahn Anan emphasizes that this life is a rare and valuable opportunity to practice the Dharma, an opportunity often wasted on sensory pleasures and modern distractions. The core of the practice is the dedicated cultivation of mindfulness (sati) and collectedness (samadhi). To achieve this, one must: - Reduce Input: Limit unnecessary sense impressions and media consumption, such as Facebook, which steals time and agitates the mind. - Watch the Mind: Diligently observe the mind—is it liking or disliking? Chasing after or running away from a feeling? - Contemplate Impermanence: Use wisdom to reflect on the unstable nature of defilements (greed, anger, doubt) and see the body and the world as merely conditioned formations (earth, air, fire, water). The talk urges continuous effort, applied with sincerity but a balanced intensity to avoid stress. By persevering in this way, one can reduce suffering and eventually realize the truth, leading to a mind that is peaceful, empty, and radiant.
Meet your Teacher
Rayong, Thailand