19. The Forest of the Yogavacara
By Luang Pu Thate Desaraṅsī
December 22, 1984
After the Rains Retreat, everyone wants to travel, wants to go dwell in the forest seeking seclusion to practice exertion and tranquility. In truth, anywhere is a forest, if you don't know the forest, it's all a village. Even in the forest it's a village. Then, staying in the forest, you think even more wildly, your mind runs into the village, seeing people and all sorts of things — that is the village.
If you know how to see it as a forest, then it's a forest entirely within ourselves. The hair is a forest, the body hairs are a forest, the nails, teeth, skin are a forest — they are the forest of the yogavacara who practices exertion. He practices in this forest, dwells in this forest, performs his efforts in this forest. Starting with hair, body hairs, nails, teeth, skin — it's all a forest. It's a hiding place for various creatures, a refuge for various creatures. The 32 aspects exist within us — what takes refuge in there? Beauty, filth — they lurk within us without our knowing. All defilements reside right there. That is the wild beast, a very fearsome thing. We should bring it in to ourselves, contemplate ourselves in this way, see it as a constant inner wild beast. Wherever you go, it follows. You can't escape it. It's better to strive and fight against it. If you don't fight and win, it will keep lurking, seeking happiness and comfort — that's not good. Going into the jungle wilderness, you find happiness and comfort, and become greatly infatuated. You want seclusion, to find peace and quiet. But a place devoid of people, full of wild animals — that's where you go for seclusion. Yet living wild animals are inside our own bodies. All the bad things, the defilements such as sensual craving, follow us constantly. We defeat them right here. If we clearly see within our own minds, see the drawbacks and benefits of all these things, then it's great fun. Wherever you are is a forest, wherever you are is seclusion — you don't need to choose a place. All places are complete right here. Caves and caverns are right here. The Buddha taught: Dūraṅgamaṁ ekacaraṁ, asarīraṁ guhāsayaṁ; ye cittaṁ saññamessanti, mokkhanti mārabandhanā. "The mind travels far, wanders alone, is bodiless, and dwells in a cave. Those who restrain it will be freed from Māra's bonds."
The mind travels far alone, then returns to sleep in the same cave — that is our own body. The Buddha compared it very clearly. This is the most important danger. If one does not see the drawbacks, does not see the danger, one will only be infatuated and lost in delight. But when one sees the drawbacks and danger, and contemplates that it threatens constantly — for example, if we don't practice exertion, we have no exertion — that is how insidious it is. If we don't establish mindfulness firmly, that is heedlessness. We indulge, become intoxicated, enjoy ourselves without mindful caution — that is called dying in delusion. These dangers exist in the world — they are the world's possessions. All dangers are within us. Wherever you go, they follow constantly. Enmity, danger, various perils follow at all times. Whenever we lack mindfulness to control the mind and keep it under our power, that is when dangers surround us.
If we have mindfulness to control and be cautious, even to that extent, it still follows and threatens us. But then we have time to correct it. The most important dangers surround us. Where can you go to escape these things? Where can you flee? It follows you constantly. Living in a monastery is the same, living at home is the same, living in the forest is the same, living anywhere — it follows all the time. If you see the danger constantly, in every moment, then you are a person with mindfulness, caution, and restraint, not allowing wrong thoughts, not allowing wrong intentions, not letting the mind wander. You are mindful and cautious, keeping the mind normal. Then gradually you will escape the dangers.
Enmity and danger exist in the world. No one can eliminate them. They can only be dealt with by having mindfulness and caution. Everyone born into this world creates kamma and enmity together. That is, we ourselves have everything — bodily kamma, verbal kamma, mental kamma — we have it all. Everything we do can be both merit and demerit, can become kamma and enmity. It exists in the world. It never ends. What can end it is that we do what is raw, then what is cooked, and thus gradually escape from that kamma. The Buddha taught to abandon both demerit and merit, then attain Nibbāna. As long as there is still demerit and merit, you haven't reached Nibbāna. Thus, we are born and must do both bad and good kamma. Doing good is called good kamma, doing bad is called bad kamma. Good kamma becomes lighter, not heavy. Bad kamma is the heaviest. When we know both good and bad kamma, we abandon both good and bad kamma, and then the matter is finished.
If suffering is not at its extreme, people won't contemplate their own affairs. Because suffering is within us all the time. We see it a little now and then. But when suffering reaches its extreme and there is no refuge left — suppose you are about to die completely — what will you rely on? You can't rely on anywhere. You must rely solely on mindfulness to control the mind. On that which you have already trained.
When mindfulness controls the mind so that it doesn't waver according to moods, doesn't waver according to painful feelings, doesn't wander according to moods, doesn't wander according to feelings — then the matter is finished. That is the ultimate. Death is the ultimate contemplation. Contemplate death, and thus you will be freed from suffering.