Those with a sound knowledge of Dhamma know the path to Nirvana

January 28 was Duruthu Poya

Let us discuss whether a person who develops the path to Nirvana can do it all at once or gradually. Those who have a sound knowledge of Dhamma know the path to Nirvana. We need to slow down when walking on this path. Moving faster may cause more mistakes. If that happens, the distance we will have to go will be longer.

Go slow and be mindful. We call it mindfulness. About what? Have I been mindful? Have I conducted mindfulness? Have I lost my mind by trying to conduct mindfulness? Am I aware that I have lost mindfulness? Am I aware of having mindfulness and not having mindfulness? What is the mindfulness that exists and that do not exist? The mindfulness that exists is the mindfulness that you conduct. If you perform an act, do it mindfully. Be aware that you do it. If you are performing an act without being aware, just be aware that you are doing it without being aware.

You need to analyze it both ways. Apart from these two methods, is there any other way that you can conduct your mindfulness? They are the only ways. You can conduct your mindfulness either with awareness or without awareness. Apart from these two methods, nothing will work. But we all have heard only about the first method. That is to conduct mindfulness by force. I know a way to conduct mindfulness effortlessly.

All those who are enlightened knows it. All those who are enlightened are in that effortless mindfulness. That is why they do not feel exhausted.

If your vehicle is out of fuel, the tank needs to be filled up. Similarly, I will not ask you to walk continuously on this path. I ask you to stop for a while and take a rest. This resting time is the fuel to your next step in the journey. While resting we need to adjust our drawbacks. When we stop to have tea during a journey, what will the ladies do if their hair is disheveled? They will comb it again. We need to correct the drawbacks in our journey.

If I am asked what the easiest thing in the world is, my answer would be attaining Nibbana. But you have been taught that it’s the most difficult thing to achieve. You were told in such a way because the correct path is unknown. If the correct path is known, it would be the easier to attain Nibbana. But you need to understand very carefully.

There is a Sutra called Musika which many may not have heard of. Now, I am going to tell how to do, without ‘doing’. If we are to do something, there will always be a result. Even for not doing something, there will be a result. But when you do without ‘doing’, there would not be a result at all. So, then that’s the correct path.

– Ven. Sri Samanthabadra Thera