Mind. That’s what we are here for. This is what it’s all about. Getting the inner space, the feeling of closeness with friends, all those different things. That is what we get into, and when we are there it is, “Ah, how nice.”
The outer part of the building is not so very important, because the outer part of the building is that which represents the world we are working in. We are using the space inside in order to conquer the illusion of the conditioned world—to get through it, to throw it out.
We have places where we can sit and meditate. We have lots of space.
We are the place where if we relax, if we straighten our backs, if we pull in our chins and so on, then that’s it. Now you can sit, and nobody is walking on your head, and nobody is disturbing you with noises from upstairs. Then you go in. Then you are there, because what you are seeing is your mind. And buddhas are not disturbed by a bit of sound or something like that; it’s not so difficult, it’s not so important. What is important is that there is sheer focus. This is what we want to do.
Don’t be like the people who think, “It has to be very expensive in order to show my devotion.” The Buddha is not interested in that, he is interested in the fact that you learn something, that you work for values; for things that you can trust and are lasting, right? The Buddha didn’t come and beg, “Give me a nicer house.” The Buddha came here to say, “Find a place where my students can sit, learn, examine what’s going on, and move on from there.” That’s what he wants. That’s what he always wanted.
We have to get to a level where we are useful in society for the people who are there. You are here to help people. The buddhas don’t need any help. The Buddha tells us to just get rid of the looking for something. The moment you let things relax and then come…then a state arises, a nice feeling. Then attachment, aversion, confusion, everything begins to shift away, drift away. You sit there, “Wow.”
