Luang Por Liem: The Ways of the Peaceful - Wat Pah Nanachat

Until the state of perfection is reached, we need to understand
the situation we are in, and that it is normal to experience both
happiness and suffering. We still need to find means to improve
ourselves. We can use the guidelines the Buddha established for
us monks in order to correct the shortcomings and faults in our
actions. Inabilities, negligence and thoughtlessness in our
behaviour can make us feel very inappropriate. But we have the
chance to open ourselves up to the friends we live together with,
to let them know about our deeds. We can confess or speak up in
a meeting, letting the others witness our actions, saying words
like:
“What I have done here was careless and wasn’t right.
I have transgressed a rule of conduct. That wasn’t
good. What I have done wasn’t appropriate for
someone who lives by the ways of a Samana, who
practices for the sake of penetrating dukkha with
clarity and insight.”
By letting others know and be a witnesses in this way, we
implant our principles deeply into our memory, building up our
capacity to be aware of what we are doing and gradually creating
a sense of shame. If we are grounded in this sense of wholesome
shame, shying away from things that could cause us problems
becomes natural. Seeing dangers and disadvantages will keep us
alert and attentive. This alertness is the way leading to the
experience of freedom and safety. It leads to the attainment of the
“non-suffering”, the “unburdened”. This is the way to fulfil our
task in the practice and development of ourselves.
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