We cannot change what appears now

An insincere inclination inhibits the development of satiptthana. Right

understanding can know whether we are sincere or not, whether there is

development in the right way or not. Do we take our intellectual

understanding for direct knowledge of realities and do we believe that there

is nothing more to be developed? This will hinder the right practice of the

eightfold Path. There are many misconceptions which can hinder its

development. Do we have certain fixed ideas about sati, ideas of what it

should be like? Do we, without noticing it, confuse sati with an idea of calm

and peace? Some people find sati “a very special experience”, but then

there is clinging. Sati is only a reality, not something special, and we should

not hold on to it. Are we sure about the characteristic of sati or are we

merely thinking of a concept of sati? In the beginning there cannot be clear

understanding of any reality, and thus, when we think that we know sati as it

is we may mislead ourselves. When we are too preoccupied with what sati is

like, we forget to be aware of all realities that are appearing already, such

as seeing, sound or hearing.

We may have prejudices against particular objects and we may not like to

be aware of them. Someone thought that when she was practising

satipatthana she should not recognize her parents or friends, or look at her

watch, since she was then thinking of concepts. Are we doing the same, do

we want to avoid thinking of concepts? We were walking around the great

Stupa of Anuradhapura, the “Ruvanvelisaya”, and then there was thunder.

The rainy season had begun. I was paying attention to the sound of thunder

and thinking of a concept. I tried to experience just sound, but the concept

of thunder seemed to come up immediately. What was really happening? I

was thinking of a concept and trying to avoid thinking of it, because I wanted

to know just sound. We should not resist being aware of the reality

that appears. When we think of thunder it does not matter; the thinking can

be studied in order to know it as only a reality that is conditioned. At another

time, when we do not try to focus on sound, sound may appear and then it

can be known as only a reality that arises because of the appropriate

conditions. There is no self who can cause the arising of any reality and we

can verify this in daily life. We should not try to live only in the world of

ultimate truth because then there is clinging again. We cannot change

what appears now.