



                                FOREWORD
  
       This book, Ajaan Lee's first, is like a catalog:  In it, he gives 
  the full range of his teachings on the practice of the Buddha's craft, 
  from the observance of the five precepts to the attainment of total 
  liberation. Thus the different parts are written for different people 
  at different stages in the practice, and the reader is advised to 
  read, not judgmentally, but judiciously -- taking whatever is useful 
  for his or her own practice, and leaving the rest for others.
  
       The structure of the book, with its two over-lapping parts, is 
  explained by the fact that the two parts were originally written and 
  published separately, Part II appearing in 1936 as //The Training of 
  the Heart//, and Part I the following year as //Precepts for 
  Laypeople//. In 1939 Ajaan Lee revised and expanded both parts, 
  putting them into their present form as self-sufficient but 
  complementary halves of a single volume. Later, in the early 1950's, 
  he revised the book once more, this final revised version being the 
  one translated here.
  
       Although Ajaan Lee's teachings continued to develop over the 
  course of later years, the basic outlines remained constant. Most of 
  his later teachings are simply elaborations on themes already given in 
  this book. One of these later developments, though, deserves special 
  mention here: It concerns the question of how a beginner should get 
  started in practicing meditation. Ajaan Lee's eventual solution to 
  this question, given in his book, Keeping the Breath in Mind: Method 
  II, can briefly be stated as follows: Start right in developing the 
  factors of Jhana by (1) being clearly aware of each breath, (2) 
  evaluating and adjusting the breath so that it is as comfortable and 
  satisfying as possible, and (3) letting this comfortable sensation 
  spread, along with a sense of present awareness, throughout the entire 
  body. If an individual meditator had trouble sticking with step (1), 
  Ajaan Lee might recommend some of the methods given in this book -- 
  the repetition of the word "buddho" in conjunction with the breath, 
  the contemplation of the basic properties of the body, etc. -- but 
  these methods were regarded as ancillary to the central practice of 
  keeping the breath in mind.
  
       Yet even though Ajaan Lee's later teachings developed new  
  perspectives on some of the individual themes contained in this book, 
  none of his later writings have its scope or completeness. For this 
  reason it remains to this day one of his most popular and esteemed 
  works.
  
       But for all its scope, it is only a preliminary guide -- a map or 
  a mirror -- for the true craft of the heart lies, not within its 
  covers, but within the reader.
  
       To quote from one of Ajaan Lee's later sermons: "What does 
  discernment come from? You might compare it with learning to become a 
  potter, a tailor, or a basket weaver. The teacher will start out by 
  telling you how to make a pot, sew a shirt or a pair of pants, or 
  weave different patterns, but the proportions and beauty of the object 
  you make will have to depend on your own powers of observation. 
  Suppose you weave a basket and then take a good look at its 
  proportions, to see if it's too short or too tall. If it's too short, 
  weave another one, a little taller, and then take a good look at it to 
  see if there's anything that still needs improving, to see if it's too 
  thin or too fat. Then weave another one, better-looking than the last. 
  Keep this up until you have one that's as beautiful and 
  well-proportioned as possible, one with nothing to criticize from any 
  angle. This last basket you can take as your standard. You can now set 
  yourself up in business. What you've done is learn from your own 
  actions. As for your earlier efforts, you needn't concern yourself 
  with them any longer. Throw them out. This is a sense of discernment 
  that arises of its own accord, an ingenuity and a sense of judgment 
  that come not from anything your teachers have taught you, but from 
  observing and evaluating on your own what you yourself have done."
  
       Hopefully this book will be of help to all those who hope to 
  master the craft of the heart.
  
  
                           Thanissaro Bhikkhu
                           (Geoffrey DeGraff) 
  
  Metta Forest Monastery
  PO Box 1409
  Valley Center, CA  92082  U.S.A.
  
                                          
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                              INTRODUCTION
  
  
       In the first part of this book I will discuss virtue, before 
  going on to discuss the practice of meditation in the second. I put 
  together this first section as a cure for my own sense of dismay. 
  I.e., there have been times when I've asked lay Buddhists to tell me 
  what exactly is forbidden by the five precepts, the eight precepts, 
  and the ten guidelines (//kammapatha//) that people observe, and their 
  answers have been a jumble of right and wrong. When I ask them how 
  long they've been observing the precepts, some say they've never 
  observed them, others say "two years," "five years," etc. The 
  ignorance of those who've never observed the precepts is 
  understandable; as for those who have taken the precepts, there are 
  all kinds: Some people who've taken them for three years understand 
  them better than others who have taken them for five. Some people have 
  repeated the precepts against taking life for three years now, and yet 
  keep on taking life, with no idea of what the precept is for. Of 
  course, there are many people who are better informed than this, but 
  even so I can't help feeling dismayed because their behavior isn't 
  really in keeping with their knowledge. Now, I say this is not to be 
  critical, but simply to be truthful. For this reason, I have put 
  together this book as a way of relieving my sense of dismay, and have 
  arranged to have it printed for distribution to practicing Buddhists, 
  as a guideline for honoring our Teacher through the practice of his 
  teachings, and for fostering the prosperity of those teachings for a 
  long time to come.
  
       In conclusion, I ask the reader to read reflectively. Some things 
  here may be to your liking, others may not. But at any rate, I feel 
  certain that you could find it well worth your while to bring your 
  conduct into line with the various teachings mentioned here.
  
       If anything I have written in this book is incorrect in terms of 
  the Dhamma, please forgive me.
  
       The physical and mental energy used in writing this book I 
  dedicate to those who have felt inspired to provide the financial 
  energy for its printing. As long as they are not yet totally liberated 
  from all suffering and stress, may they be perceptive and discerning 
  with regard to everything of every sort that pertains to their genuine 
  welfare in whatever realm they may be reborn.
  
                                                 Phra Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo
  
  The Forest Temple
  Shrimp Canal
  Chanthaburi

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