There’s actually nothing wrong with this ghost. It is intrinsically pure. It is peaceful in itself. The fact that the mind is not peaceful today is because it follows moods. The real mind has nothing to do with it, it is simply (an aspect of) nature. It becomes peaceful or agitated because moods deceive it.
Do everything with a mind that lets go. Don’t accept praise, profits or anything else. If you let go a little, you will have a little peace; if you let go a lot, you will experience a lot of peace; when you let go completely, you will experience complete peace.
The untrained mind is stupid. Sense impressions come and tempt him to happiness, suffering, joy and sorrow, but the true nature of the mind is none of these. That joy or sadness is not the mind, but only a mood that comes to deceive us. The untrained mind goes astray and follows these things, it forgets itself. Then we think it’s us who are upset, uncomfortable or whatever.
“You are your own teacher. Looking for teachers cannot solve your own doubts. Examine yourself to find the truth – within, not without. Knowing yourself is the most important thing.”
But actually, this mind of ours is already motionless and peaceful… really peaceful! Just like a leaf that stands still as long as no wind blows. When the wind picks up, the leaf flutters. The fluttering is due to the wind – the ‘fluttering’ is due to those sensory impressions; the spirit follows them. If it doesn’t follow them, it doesn’t ‘flutter’. If we fully know the true nature of sense impressions, we will remain unmoved.
“Nowadays people are not looking for the Truth. People simply study to find the knowledge necessary to make a living, raise a family and take care of themselves, that’s all. For them, being smart is more important than being wise!”
Just try to keep your thoughts in the present. Whatever comes into the mind, just look at it and let it go. I don’t even want to be rid of my thoughts. Then the mind will return to its natural state. Not distinguishing between good and bad, hot and cold, fast and slow. No I and no you, no self at all – just what is. When you walk you don’t have to do anything special. Just walk and see what’s there.
There is no need to insist on isolation or seclusion. Wherever you are, know yourself by being natural and watching. When doubts arise, watch them come and go. It’s very simple. Hold on to nothing. It’s like walking on a road. Every now and then you encounter obstacles. When you encounter defilements, simply see them and overcome them by releasing them. Don’t think about the obstacles you’ve already passed; don’t worry about the ones you haven’t seen yet. Stick to the present.
Don’t worry about the length of the road or the destination. Everything changes. Whatever you pass on, don’t hold on to it. Eventually the mind will reach its natural balance, where practice becomes automatic. All things will come and go of their own accord.
Our meditation practice is simply to see the Original Pure Mind; to make it peaceful. This is precisely the purpose of all these difficult exercises we put ourselves through; is discovering the natural purity of our mind and not getting lost in sense impressions.