‘Let the mind feel that mindfulness is effortless’

FEBRUARY 26 WAS NAVAM FULL MOON POYA DAY

When treading on the path of Nirvana, gradually we need to arrive at the point to correct yourself on how mindfulness should be conducted. By force or effortless? It should be effortless. Trying to conduct mindfulness by force would burden yourself. When you forget something, how would you feel? Sad.

That is because you did it by force. Let the mindfulness be effortless. What if we say be aware that you are in mindfulness effortlessly? That is also wrong because, on the other hand, it means that you have conducted. So, what should be done is let the mind feel that mindfulness is effortless. Now your mind is so relaxed. Your senses have begun to be clearer. Then your appearance such as eyes, ears and nose become pleasant. This is caused by mindfulness.

If someone accomplishes the Nirvana, his senses become clearer and pleasant. He lives in an effortless mindfulness without any burden. This is the first step. We need to analyze conducting mindfulness by force and effortlessly.

What is more important of these two is getting to know the effortless mindfulness. Not only for a person who seeks Nirvana but also a commoner. If you try to do it by force, you tend to forget more. The second factor is to be aware of the law of relativity. What does that mean? This is how it is done.

The world exists on a duality irrespective of whether it is observed either physically or spiritually. Where there is black, there is also white, a rise and a fall, fire and water, warm and cold and tall and short. This applies to the spiritual world too. We can find them in Thripitaka. One is Sumedha stories in Buddha Wansa Pali. This duality cannot be seen, heard, smelled, tasted or felt but enlightened. That is Nirvana. Now you are clear on the duality in the external world.

Even the thoughts are born in a duality as we research mentally. Read the Sutra named Girimananda in Anapana Sanyuktha. In most of the Sutras, Lord Buddha has mentioned about this duality. It is also mentioned in the Sutra Salleka in Majjima Nikaya. Everything is about the duality within the mind.

In Buddhism, meditation on breathe in – breathe out (ana-pana) has a deep meaning. We all think ana-pana bhavana is about meditating on breathe in – breathe out. It is not. Do not be mistaken. It is all about meditation on two different natures of the mind. It is an analysis of the mind. What I say has a deep meaning. Nobody accepts this at once. But any wise person who research deep into the Dhamma knows it. It is an analysis of the mind.

– Ven. Siri Samanthabadra Thera