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

understand what this brightness and purity is actually like. We
don’t know yet. This is merely because we are still in a state
where such experiences are unfamiliar to us.
In this situation, we have to pay special attention to the way
we relate to and communicate with the opposite sex, as we will
always have to interact in some way. The Buddha gave some
definite guidelines of practice here, directed to Venerable Ananda.
In fact, at first, the Buddha spoke in terms of completely denying
the contact. When Venerable Ananda asked him, “How should I
practice towards members of the opposite sex?” the Buddha said,
“It is best not to look at them at all.” So the Buddha is in a way
against us getting to know and see the opposite sex at all. This is
because the Buddha doesn’t want us to face situations which we
can’t resist, where things might go off and we crumble. Then
Venerable Ananda asked the Buddha further, “It is sometimes
necessary to look at women. How should we practice then?” What
the Buddha then said helps us to keep a responsible attitude in the
various stages that we might get emotionally involved. He said,
“If you need to look at them, don’t speak to them.” This was the
Buddha’s advice, but Venerable Ananda, who was in the position
of teaching the Dhamma-Vinaya to the nuns, was still doubtful
and asked further: “What about situations where one has to speak,
for example, when they need directions. How shall one practice
then?” The Buddha further commented, “If you have to speak,
you need to have mindfulness while speaking.”
So, let us think about this: “When you speak, be mindful…”
How is one mindful? This is something we need to discuss
further. One is mindful in a way that goes against the stream of
our emotions. Just like the fish that have the skill to resist the
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