Lessons In Practical Buddhism - Sirimangalo.Org

teachers, refusing to listen and even leaving the meditation
centre without finishing their training simply because of their
inability to withstand criticism. Others become caught up in
their worldly accomplishments, relishing the praise that
comes from involvement in the world, and so are unable to
focus their minds on meditation, thinking only of the
pleasure that comes from being among those who shower
them with praise.
Gain as well can be a great hindrance to meditation if one
worries about ones possessions or if craving for new
possessions arises. Some monks become dissatisfied with
the monastic life because of their remembrance of pleasant
experiences when they were lay people. Some monks
become infatuated with the lives of lay people and give rise
to craving for what seems to be a life of happiness as
compared to the difficult life of a monk. Some monks are
even enticed by rich lay supporters to disrobe, with the
promise of marriage or financial support once they disrobe.
Likewise, those meditators who have much wealth will often
fail to put out any real effort in the practice, unafraid as they
are about the future, thinking that they are already safe and
that their riches will protect them from all dangers. Often
this prevents such people from even attending a meditation
course, since they are unable to see the dangers that await
even rich people if they are negligent.
The same goes for happiness – when we are happy and
comfortable and not faced with any immediate suffering, we
will become complacent. When our meditation practice
becomes difficult, if we are not mindful and see the danger
arising, we will become bored and dissatisfied, thinking only
about the pleasure we could find doing other things. The
Buddha called these things waves because they toss us
about, back and forth, clinging to the good and chasing away
the bad. As long as one allows the mind to be tossed about
in this way, one will never reach the farther shore of safety
and freedom from suffering.
The danger of crocodiles refers to laziness and indolence;
thinking only about our mouth and stomach, unwilling to
strive against even the slightest difficulty. Like a crocodile
with a big mouth, a meditator who is lazy will think only
21