Morning Reflection on the Recollections

Ajahn describes the utility and scope of the basic reflections on the buddha, dhamma and sangha to develop and strengthen practice. The regular, full and mindful enactment of one's performance of this ritual allows behaviour to iron out the mental difficulties. He explains the enjoyment of phrase "The Buddha trains those who WISH to be trained" and the value of skillful mental states.

Transcript

So when we begin our day,

It's a time when characteristically we bring to mind the Buddha,

The Dhamma,

The Sangha.

This is a practice to be done regularly,

So it becomes something that's fully established.

The mind can be trained,

It means it can pick a particular theme,

Become,

Get the meaning of it.

So Vittaka picks it up.

Vichara gets the meaning,

Gets the feeling of it,

Handles it.

And then in Pujya you deliberately perform that,

You bring it forth in your body,

Bowing,

In your chanting,

Your voices,

Using words,

Offerings,

Making offerings to the shrines.

It's a very full performance,

Not just an idea of something you enact.

And then it begins to become firmly established as a part of your life,

Not just something that's an extra adornment to it,

But becomes part of your life.

So that instead of the mind going down old habit pathways,

It's picked up and placed and placed time and time again,

In particular lines of thought,

Not just lines of thought,

But also ways of thinking.

Think deeply,

Think slowly,

Get the meaning of it,

Take it in,

Feel it.

What's it doing?

The ideas that actually moderate your body,

Your language,

So your behavior becomes something that has a quality of reverence,

Willingness,

The right kind of effort.

And so then it begins to,

Whatever mood one is in,

Energy is low or bright,

Mind is restless or negative,

You keep establishing this and it begins to iron out the mental difficulties that it becomes steady and straight.

And that's the aim.

And of course,

This is not just an aim in the chanting,

But in the whole of our life.

There's people who train.

So one of the themes that is touched upon,

The Buddha trains those who wish to be trained.

Willingness,

Something one brings forth in oneself,

A certain willingness.

That's something that you have to do yourself,

You can't be just imposed upon you,

It doesn't work.

Because if it's imposed upon you,

Your mind doesn't actually rise to it,

Open to it and pick it up,

It just endures it.

Some things are to be endured,

But if the mind doesn't open up,

It doesn't really get the meaning,

Begin to harmonize with that and also enjoy.

To enjoy means to feel,

To recognize the value of skillful states.

So much of our training is about things that we don't do,

Also much of it is about things that we do do.

So roughly speaking,

The Bhāti Mauka training is referring to specific things that we refrain from doing.

And then the Kicchavatta training is about picking up and fully establishing and familiarizing with that which we do do.

So then there's the quality of skillful states that arise from not manipulating,

Pushing,

Devious behavior,

Bullying,

Greed and so forth.

And there's the skillful states that arise from deliberately respecting,

Putting forth energy for the welfare of the community and to relate in appropriate manner to one's lodgings,

To guests,

To visiting,

To people who stay in the monastery,

To the various buildings in the monastery,

To one's robes,

Bowl and specific things like expressing appreciation to the lay community for their acts of offering,

Qualities of receiving alms food and so on.

So these lists of things that we deliberately do and they're called Kicchavatta,

Kicchavatta to be done,

Vatta repeatedly.

Roughly speaking,

Vatta means things that are done time and time again.

So the Patti Morka is often rules that we don't necessarily use time and time again because many of the occasions don't occur.

We don't have to concern ourselves every day with visiting armies in battle array or going to the bedchamber of anointed kings or going on ferries with bhikkhunis or many things that are,

You know,

They're not things we have to worry about,

Concern ourselves about every day.

The Kicchavatta we do every day.

And those established particular ways of handling requisites carefully.

So we can certainly train ourselves in terms of appropriate attention.

And then you learn appropriate attention.

You give attention to actions where skillful states will arise such as modesty,

Conscientiousness,

Mindfulness,

Clear comprehension and so on.

And thereby you don't give attention to restlessness,

Anxiety,

Feverish activities,

Development,

So forth.

It steadies.

Unless life is a steadying thing,

It's not full of special events,

Big events,

It's a steadying thing.

We look even at projects,

They're often done very carefully,

Considered as it's necessary,

It's helpful.

Where does it come from?

Does it fit?

How is it enacted?

So you've been,

You know,

A couple of years or so even just working out themes for the Bhikkhu Commons,

For the utility building,

Working on that.

And just what does it mean to negotiate,

Ask for opinions,

To filter,

To check,

To work things out like that.

So all this is Kicchavatta.

It means you have to have a good sense of patience,

Perseverance,

Negotiation,

Consideration,

Bearing a simple thing in mind.

This is for a particular purpose,

Not for other purposes.

Therefore keep this focus in mind.

We do this for all the pertinences and accessories in the monastery.

The lada is for this,

Not for that.

The kitchen is for this and not for that.

We don't have,

You know,

Conversational meetings in the kitchen.

We use that.

Other places,

The reception room for that.

So it brings certain things to mind,

Focuses on them and when we do that you,

By that fact alone,

You relinquish other mental activities,

Psychological activities,

Concerns.

And this is the training,

The willingness to do this.

There's a willingness,

Mind rises up,

Okay,

I'm open to that,

I'll take it on,

I'm just going to grit my teeth and bear it,

Open up to it.

Or as the mind opens up we experience something that's soft,

Open,

Inquiring,

New,

Fresh.

Okay,

What's this?

It doesn't become not taking things for granted or habitual.

It takes things in.

Wise attention or deep attention means you consider what's the aim of this,

What's the purpose of it,

What kind of mind states are in it,

Activity,

You know.

What needs to be sustained?

Having completed something,

Then what?

Put things away,

Tidy up,

Prepare for the next thing.

Also appreciate,

Enjoy a skillful thing that's been done.

This is also very important because many of the times we can get quite busy doing things but actually spending time appreciating the skillful states that have arisen.

If you don't appreciate then you don't really just think,

Oh I've got to do this,

I've got to do that,

I've got to do this,

I've got to do that,

And the next thing and Friday morning is this and I get a break on Tuesday or whatever.

This is not skillful.

Better to notice,

You know,

You've finished cooking,

Washing up,

Finished the arms around,

You've tidied the kuti.

Pause,

Consider the results.

Consider also living in a community where such a training goes on that one is willing to be trained and there is a training.

Many places there isn't.

One of the features of the Ajahn Chah transmission which makes it so widespread and gives it such strength is that definitely is a training to be done.

It can change in some details from place to place but everywhere you know the very way of life,

The buildings,

The people,

The requisites are there to be held carefully with attention.

There's something about this that has to be learned and it will be that which inclines towards simplicity,

Steadiness of energy,

Selflessness in sharing,

Using requisites wisely.

So one trains oneself and is grateful there is a training.

Otherwise the mind is spinning off doubt,

Proliferation,

Worry,

Thinking about this,

That and the other.

This is a process of patiently holding this training in mind day after day.

And even though your own mind may be quite afflicted then you recognize there is an atmosphere and a training system.

Just keep applying yourself to that.

Steadily,

Moderate your energies,

Moderate your efforts,

Rise,

Sustain,

Steady and notice the benefits.

This is at least you know I can chant,

At least I can enunciate words,

At least I can clean the hall carefully with attention.

Notice that.

So you notice the small practical manageable aspects of the Dhamma rather than dealing with abstract or speculative or areas that are beyond your range.

This is definitely within our range.

We can keep a monastery clean,

We can look after our robes,

We can look after our bowls.

This is something that's definitely within our reach.

And when you can do that,

You notice the care and attention you give to that.

And this was skillful.

Where as a lay person,

I might have just thrown stuff anywhere,

Had a house cluttered with all kinds of bits and pieces,

Not really noticed what I was eating.

In this training I am careful and attentive to the present and there's a relinquishment and a calming and steadying of the mind.

This is what has to be done.

Reviews

Saved as a favourite. It's a lot more than clever words.

A great reminder that we are
Training the mind. And that re training is entirely possible with practice and joyful effort. Thank you.

This is how I start my long challenging days, bringing me back to willing and attentive 🙏🏻

Thank you 🙏🏽💖🙏🏽

It is very profound, but it is hard to understand and comprehend all at once. I am looking forward to repeat the practice over and over again 🙏

Sadu Sadu Sadu 🙏🙏🙏

Beautiful discussion, leaving me wanting more and to learn about these practices!

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soft morning voice-like an private mentoring session.i hope 2018 i will be more skillful in my daily tasks leading to less clutter -physically, mentally and spiritually

Grateful for the guidance in the chaos, randomness and changing nature of ordinary existence. 🙏🏻

Monastic life and mindfulness. Thank you