accordingly, giving excellent results at every step along the path.
This principle was embodied in the Lord Buddha, who was ear-
nest in his pursuit of Truth – a Truth that he fully realized and
then taught to the world. Those who truly believe in Buddhism
are those who earnestly pursue Truth. They never practice in a
halfhearted, inept manner, thus impeding the sãsana’s progress
and devaluing it to the extent that non-Buddhists find cause to
be contemptuous. The genuine sãsana are the very Noble Truths
that deserve to be proclaimed and accepted throughout the uni-
verse without concern about their validity, since they are true
natural principles emanating directly from the Buddha’s absolute
purity – unless, of course, one is uninterested in Truth or unable to
understand it. In that case, the sãsana may simply be held hostage
within the countless diverse opinions of people whose hearts are
totally obscured by a mass of deep-rooted kilesas – a veil of defile-
ments that the sãsana has long since thoroughly penetrated.
Please excuse me for this lengthy digression – it shows I lack
the firm principles needed to restrain my wayward tendencies. I
would like to continue discussing those harsh training methods
that dhutanga monks tended to use until they became second
nature. Diligently practiced, each of these methods produces
clear-cut results. They help diminish the unruly, arrogant nature
of the mind, a condition exacerbated by excessive physical vitality.
Reducing the intake of food, fasting, going without sleep, or other
harsh methods, such as walking or sitting in meditation continu-
ously for long periods of time – all of these practices provide the
heart with the strength required to advance easily on the path of
Dhamma. Other practices are designed for those who are scared
of tigers or ghosts, which when practiced unflinchingly, force the
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
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