Unexpected Freedom

Unexpected Freedomthe biggest universities in Thailand. To his surprise hehandled the talk and the question-and-answer session withconfidence and ability. On returning to the forest monasteryhe asked Ajahn Chah, “How can it be that most of the timewhen I am here my practice seems like rubbish? I feel like Iam wasting my time. Then, in a situation like that, I cancome up with the goods?” Luang Por Chah answered saying,“Our practice is like being a gong. Most of the time you arejust here, doing what you do, being mindful of the simplethings like sweeping leaves, pulling water from the well,walking up and down on your meditation track, feeling likenothing is happening. You are simply doing what you needto do to stay mindful of the present moment. Then someonecomes along and strikes this gong and the sound is beautiful.However, we are not supposed to be sitting there worryingabout what our sound may be like.”When, in formal meditation we’re focusing attention onthe sensation of the breath, so many interesting things comealong for us to think about. ‘I could be developing this, Icould be building that. I could rewrite that program like this,’or ‘I could arrange for that deal’. While we’re sitting inmeditation, some of these creative ideas can seem soinspiring and attractive. We are encouraged to learn how tosay no to them, to learn to inhibit our tendencies to followthem. Only when we can choose not to follow ourtendencies, can we know we are not compelled and driven bythem. Meanwhile, we inhibit the tendencies and come backto the meditation object of the breath, the simple, clear,neutral sensation of the body breathing.We want to think about things and follow our attractive,profound thoughts so that we can develop them. Can we say‘no’ to this tendency? There is often a fear that manifests thatif we say ‘no’ to this profound thought or this beautifully,42