1
When the ascetic Gotama
was in the jungle for six years
why did he grow so thin?
What did his body look like?
What did he do in the summer?
What did he do in the winter?
What are the ways he used
to torture his body?
And finally why did he give it up?
Why did his five friends
leave him?
And who gave him milk when he fainted?
2
The Buddha ate nothing for 49 days,
then he practiced Anapanasati,
vowed he would not move
from that place, even if he
died in the process, until
Prince Sidhartha was enlightened and became
the Lord Buddha, at the
foot of the Great Bodhi tree
in the shade.
3
The heart gradually emerged
from the boiling swamp
[of kilesas]
like the sun rising from the ground
to spread its light over the world:
Life exists for only a single
moment of consciousness.
What is impermanent is suffering.
All things are pervaded with
their non-existence.
4
His disciples wander far away
to practice meditation.
Bare poverty and deprivation,
plain rice to eat
with salt or chili pepper.
They rested and slept
on grasses and leaves
or under a bamboo shelter
to ward off sun and wind,
with a rough platform
on which to lie.
And a pathway for walking meditation.
But they had to wander on
for living in one place is not good;
moving on is a way to remain alert.
Moving on without fixed destination
to define time or place -
both of which tie one up -
is freedom.
5
Always moving on
responsible for only one's self
and the practice of the Way
which is the goal they aim for
with every breath.
6
They lived in the forest
under the shade of a tree
or in a charnal ground,
accepting whatever was available;
lived out in the open without any shelter
or they lived in a cave,
under a cliff
or in an abandoned shack
where no one was staying.
7
They used discarded rags
from the charnal ground
for their robes
and went on alms round every day,
ate only one meal a day
from their bowl,
and they practiced meditation:
Mindfulness with Breathing.
8
The Buddha taught this way
in kindness and compassion
for the world.
9
Therefore we are confident
to follow his empty footsteps
into the forest.
Peaceful and joyful in the forest
we enjoy the sounds of animals
which serenade forests with their music,
soothing lullaby, the animals
and birds gather around and call
to their friends. Their sounds
resound about the forest
in due, regular hours of the day
and night,
for many kinds of animals roam
the forest in search for food
and their calls never cease.
10
Even though it is difficult
they must risk suffering and
danger in various ways.
Dhamma is to be found where
death is close by, if one has not
been faced with death one has
not seen dhamma.
11
They strive continually
with cause and result taking place
consistently and steadily.
They could see their heart's development.
Engrossed in this practice
they forget whether it is
night or day.
12
They speak little and have no
liking for association with others
preferring to live by themselves, alone.
They like to go about on their own
and dislike giving dhamma talks.
13
They practice really determined,
unconcerned with mundane projects,
like one who dies without making arrangement
for his corpse. Anywhere will do
when his time has come.
While he is alive, he stays in
places like forests or caves
conducive to practice.
14
Sitting in samadhi for many hours
pain comes upon him
like a sea of flame
as if the body and mind is going to
break up and fall right there.
While separating out the bones and
feelings (of pain) with mindfulness
and wisdom, fully attentive
and committed,
investigating until he understands.
15
Then he separates out the feelings
from the mind (citta) until
he understands, all feeling
disappears, and the mind
is absorbed in concentration.
Nor does fear arise anymore.
16
[Because one sees how feeling has
deceived him, made him fear
life and death.]
17
He sees the fresh and new footprints
of the master and the Arahants.
18
Anicca vata sankhara
When sankharas which compose
the body die, the body is no longer
of any use.
But the citta does not die
and can go on working endlessly.
If f the heart is used to going evil ways
it becomes dangerous and harmful to one's self.
The body is not steadfast
having been born it is bound
to die.
But the citta, the heart,
is steadfast.
It has no birth,
or death when the body dies.
It only whirls around in accord
with causes and conditions
that make it go around like this.
19
You should not become an Acariya
teaching others,
but become Acariya-teacher to teach
yourself.
Looking at one's self not others,
teaching one's self caution
of things which harm one's mind
such as projects, reform movements,
worldly ways -
but look only on bhavana
overcoming kilesa.
20
Greed terrifies decent people
for when the time comes for
the fire to start burning
and destroying, it will not discriminate.
For the word seems to be boiling
and getting hotter, smoldering
in every place, more disturbed
every day.
Greed is an engine of destruction.
21
They help the world in various ways
without expecting material reward
and they make people glad at heart.
They are full of loving-kindness
and they never get tired of the people.
Wherever they go they do no harm
in the world, but instead go
about helping others.
They give help to the world like a
doctor and nurse who
dispense medicine and tend
diseases of fellow humans.
22
They are good people full
of generous kindness, and
big hearted.
So there are still some good people
in the world.
