65. Buried memories

Once when Luang Pu was staying at Yothaaprasit Forest Monastery, a large number of monks and novices came to pay their respects. After they had listened to his teachings, Luang Taa Ploi—who had ordained when he was old but was well restrained in his practice—said to Luang Pu, “I’ve ordained for a fairly long time now, but I can’t yet cut my attachments to the past. No matter how firmly I set my mind on the present, I find that mindfulness lapses and I keep slipping back. Could you tell me another method to stop this sort of thing?”

Luang Pu responded,

“Don’t let the mind run out after external preoccupations. If your mindfulness lapses, then as soon as you’re aware of it, immediately pull it back. Don’t let it go looking into preoccupations that are good or bad, pleasant or painful. Don’t fall in line with them, but don’t use force to cut them off.”