“Pleasant Practice, Painful Practice" ~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu

“Pleasant Practice, Painful Practice"
~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu 

"There’s a sad story about a young American who went to Thailand and became a monk. 

He went to stay with Ajaan Maha Boowa, and one of the first questions he asked Ajaan Maha Boowa on arrival was, “What meditation theme can I follow that will lead me to awakening?” Ajaan Maha Boowa said, “I don’t know. You have to find out for yourself.” 

Unfortunately, the young monk thought that Ajaan Maha Boowa was saying that he didn’t know the way to awakening, so he got discouraged, left, and ended up disrobing. He tried Zen for several years, disrobed from that, and ended up being a professor of Buddhist studies here in the States.

The sad thing, of course, is that he misinterpreted Ajaan Maha Boowa’s statement. 

Ajaan Maha Boowa didn’t say that he didn’t know the way to awakening. What he didn’t know was which technique would work specifically for that young monk, seeing that there’s no one technique guaranteed to take every meditator to stream entry or once returning or non-returning or arahantship. 

The technique that works for each individual person is a matter of individual temperament."

~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu 

“Pleasant Practice, Painful Practice"