heart to turn inward where its true sanctuary lies, remaining there
until calm and courage arise. Fears can be alleviated, or even
banished, by such means. The citta then comes to realize its own
strength and ability so that when it is driven into a corner at a
truly critical juncture – for example, when the body is racked by
excruciating pain – it has the means to emerge victorious, and
survive. Normally, mindfulness and wisdom are fully aroused only
when the citta is placed in a critical situation. Otherwise, they
never have a chance to realize their full potential.
An excellent way to develop the capacity of mindfulness
and wisdom to act boldly in full knowledge of their true potential
is to use our basic ingenuity, experimenting with various forceful
techniques until we find those that best suit us. Our hearts then
remain unperturbed, regardless of what happens. Each of these
methods brings its own distinct results. Those who have long suf-
fered from fear of ghosts can rid themselves of this debilitating
fear by forcing themselves to spend the night in a cemetery. Those
who are terrified of wild animals, like tigers, can overcome this
fear by forcing themselves to spend the night alone in terrifying
wilderness. Those who have persistent craving for food can alle-
viate it, or even overcome it, by drastically reducing the amount
they eat, or by going on fast.
We all appreciate good food. We tend to believe that eating
a lot of good, tasty food will make us happy. The trouble is: greed
never accepts that it’s had enough. It always hankers for more.
No matter how much discontent it causes us, we fail to consider
that the dissatisfaction stems from our tendency to overindulge.
So, those of us practicing Dhamma for the sake of understanding
ourselves and our attachments must investigate such desires and
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
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