In the Shape of a Circle

When Ajaan Chah went to study with Ajaan Mun, Ajaan Mun told him that “We have to make our practice in the shape of a circle.” In other words, all year ‘round. All around the clock.

This is the end of the rains. The kathina has been spread. A lot of people take this as a time to relax. They say they worked extra hard during the rains, so now it’s time to relax. But your defilements don’t relax at this time of year. They can come on just as strong. And they can do just as much damage. So you have to be able to protect yourself all around, all the time.

Have the attitude of a marathon runner. You’re not here to run a sprint. You’re here to be here for the long haul, to stick with it. So. Pace yourself. You can make the long haul. And you’ll find as you pace yourself, you get more and more momentum.

The consistency is what’s important. It’s like having a fence around your house. If there are big gaps in the fence, then the fence becomes useless. Anything can come in the back. So you want to make sure that your fence is all around the house, in good repair all around the house. In that way, you’re protected on all sides.