The battle for the soul

Thus it is with every man. We must all eventually come to realisation that the wisdom to discern between mind and matter is essential.  

Sincerity and seriousness must be cultivated along with the Ten Perfections – generosity, morality, renunciation, wisdom, energy and strength, patience, truthfulness, determination, loving kindness, equanimity – each existing in completeness. 

Resolution in particular seems to serve as an anchor in practising the dharma. During my precarious sessions of meditation I often found myself at the edge of an abyss in the dark of night and on the passageway used by tigers adjacent to the jungle. 

A subtle and crafty stratagem is needed to guard the mind against the ignorance brought on by defilement. The mind must be propped up and looked after, its strength bolstered in mindfulness, wisdom, endeavour, forbearance, sincerity and seriousness. These armaments protect it not only from ignorance but also craving, wrongful opinion, conceit and attachment. If there is no such protection, here is what you can expect:

The rudeness of anger and avarice, or at least the more moderate Five Hindrances – sensual desire, ill will, laziness, worry and doubt. In their more “delicate” form these are classified as desire for sensual pleasure, desire for existence and desire for non-existence. Crucially, we have to distinguish among the rude, moderate and delicate prior to entering in the field of spiritual battle. 

Once the mind is fully concentrated and there is genuine yearning to experience the spiritual phenomena of which we’ve heard, we can safely withdraw to a level of greater tranquillity and the acquisitive mind will intuitively gain insight. 

Regardless of the dharma doctrinal context in which we contemplate, we inevitably encounter the Four Elements and the Three Common Characteristics described in the well-known teaching on impermanence. Whatever is impermanent induces misery. Whatever is misery infers non-self.

In continuing our contemplation on the Three Common Characteristics – in forward and reverse order – wisdom actually penetrates the inner mind and we can discern names and forms and witness various phenomena even as we are extirpating defilement. My longing is that people in all walks of life undergo the genuine practice of mindfulness so that they at least see the ingenuity of this mental process. 

 

Spiritual warfare

_ This article is excerpted from the book “Declaration of War between Dharma and Non-dharma”, published on Makha Puja Day this year.

_ Venerable Acariya Dhammarat Dhammaratoe is abbot of Yanasampanno International Buddha Park at Wat Chark Yai in Chanthaburi.