September 22, 2546 B.E.
Sitting Down and Closing One’s Eyes
Is a Buddhist Monk’s Job
Only nineteen days are now left of this Rains-Retreat. Time is passing by so quickly and before we know it, the Rains-Exit Day is almost upon us. The time one has left on earth is decreasing as well. It would behoove everyone not to be reckless thinking that one still has plenty of time left in life and makes the mistake of thinking that one can have a good time for now and to wait to pursue Perfections later on in life.
The Rains-Exit Day will be here in just nineteen days. Perhaps some newly ordained monks are counting the days before they can disrobe. There is no need for them to count the days, for the Rains-Exit Day will definitely be here soon enough.
Even those who enter the monkhood for a brief period still need to practice meditation and study the Dhamma-Discipline. They must learn about the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha. Just learning about who the Lord Buddha is, why He is so important, why anyone must aspire to Buddhahood, and what does it take to attain Buddhahood, so on and so forth and the time is up already. To talk about the Lord Buddha every day, three months will hardly be enough.
Perhaps in a future Rains-Retreat, Kru Mai Yai will talk about nothing but the Lord Buddha and then you will see how fast time will speed by. The Rains-Exit Day will be here before one knows it. And Kru Mai Yai will have not yet begun to talk about the Dhamma and the Sangha!
As a Buddhist monk, it seems that in just a few blinks of an eye and it is nighttime already. He wakes up, bathes his face and eyes, after a few blinks of an eye and it is time to have lunch. After lunch, he takes a walk, reads the scriptures, does his work, and it is already evening. He takes his shower, drinks some Pana, does the evening chanting, and it is already bedtime. Each day and each night are passing by so quickly that one’s time is up before one knows it.
Sitting down and closing one’s eyes to practice meditation is a Buddhist monk’s job. With the time left of this Rains-Retreat, let everyone endeavor to practice meditation earnestly and make this Rains-Retreat truly the season for attaining the Dhammakaya. Let every Inner Dreams Kindergartener, be he a monk, a novice monk, an Upasaka, an Upasika, or a lay devotee, whatever his race or creed endeavor to practice meditation earnestly and correctly in order to attain the Dhammakaya. Do not be too intent, however. Just continue to keep still and quiet.
