Buddhism
249  No selection of the object of mindfulness

We may think, I should have more kusala. However, it is important to face akusala and to realize it as just a reality which has arisen because of conditions. There should be no selection of the object of mindfulness. Any reality which appears can be object of mindfulness. Who knows what the next moment will be? It can be seeing, thinking, very strong attachment, anger or jealousy. In order to learn to see the disadvantage of akusala its characteristic has to be known, and, thus, there should be awareness of it when it appears. One may be inclined to ignore the characteristic of akusala, one may prefer to be calm. One finds it pleasant to be calm with kusala, one clings to an idea of my kusala”. Instead of the development of right understanding of what appears now one may turn to other kinds of practice. One may spend one's life with many good works such as the study of Dhamma and the writing of books about it, but put off the practice of Dhamma, that is, the development of understanding just now. One may want to accumulate kusala for oneself, and one does not realize that one's goal should be the eradication of defilements through right understanding. 
One can become a sotapanna through the development of right understanding. One moment of right understanding of the present moment is more effective than many kinds of good works undertaken without any development of right understanding. One moment of right understanding now is a condition that right understanding can arise again and, thus, it can grow. It can lead eventually to the eradication of all defilements. 
Date 16 Sep 2014

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