Unexpected Freedom

Profoundly SimpleSince we were going to be living in his monastery at least forthe duration of the Rains Retreat, he wanted to know whatour understanding of practice was, so he called us up tohis kuti.After asking a few questions, he spoke to us for sometime, during which he said something that has stayed withme; something that still seems as significant as it did then.Through the translator, he said, “Your task in practice is torealise the difference between the heart and the activity ofthe heart. It’s that simple.” As I recall this now, I can almosthear him saying it; his voice gentle yet strong and full, clearlyrich in experience and unshakeable understanding. I hadn’texpected him to say something so straightforward. Isuppose I had expected something more complex anddifficult to understand, but my response when I heard whathe said was, “Yes, I get that, I can relate to that.”To make the effort to observe inwardly, to directattention so that we come to know intimately for ourselvesthat which is the heart and that which is the activity of theheart: this was and is the foundation of my meditationpractice and my enquiry. The words he used were jit andargarn kong jit. Citta, a Pali word, is shortened in Thai to ‘jit’,and both words mean ‘heart’ or ‘mind’. ‘Argarn kong jit’means ‘the activity of the heart or mind’.I had heard a lot of talk about developing jhanas – statesof meditative absorption – and about attaining differentlevels of realisation and insight, but Ajahn Tate was pointingout that it is important not to be distracted by ideas ofpractice nor by the various experiences, sensations or mentalimpressions that we are subject to. We should view them allsimply as the activity of the mind. They are all the content ofthe mind. If the heart or mind – the citta – is like an ocean,then the activities of the heart or mind are like the waves on5