You've Heard the Dhamma for Years… So Why Is Meditation Still So Hard? | Powerful Buddhist Teaching

[00:00:00]We have been listening to Dharma since last many years ago and we have learned many Korean level but when we come to practice mindfulness we become weaker. We allocate less time for mindfulness practice. What is our lacking part?

[00:00:21]>> The question is you say that she is disciple of the head nun here and she and along with me well you've been listening to a lot of Dharma talk but then when it comes to practicing mindfulness it's not as strong as listening to the Dharma talk and she feel like it's not getting better but it's just generally like this and going down not going up. For that reason what is the reason and why is it happening that way?

[00:00:55]So as mindfulness practicing it's just like this.

[00:01:02]Anything in life when we want to do something to achieve our goal let's say we set our goal to become a doctor for example.

[00:01:12]And then when we set our goal to become a doctor and we would do everything.

[00:01:17]We would try hard to learn and try to find a good school and learn and graduate to get the degree of the doctor of doctor, right?

[00:01:27]Is that right?

[00:01:28]Same thing as anything any goal in life we also have that mentality of trying hard to reach our goal.

[00:01:39]But reaching all those goal you try hard and you try your best to do so but why can't come when come to practicing mindfulness meditation and you lack of effort?

[00:01:55]You don't want to do that.

[00:01:57]Is it true practicing mindfulness meditation not going to bring you any wealth, not going to bring you a good husband, not going to bring you a good wife, not going to bring you a good kids, and not giving you a good degree to work to earn more money to support your life and your family's member, is that right?

[00:02:26]Is that true?

[00:02:29]That is so true.

[00:02:31]Because when you have the doctor degree, engineer degree, you can earn a lot of money off from that. That is why because of the living because of the living, you have to work hard to achieve that goal.

[00:02:46]While meditation will not give you the same results because meditation will not bring you any money.

[00:02:56]But, you will be learning a lot you will be depositing a lot of a lot of gold into that bank by practicing mindfulness.

[00:03:09]And that bank versus the bank that you are working hard trying to earn the degree as a doctor and every month every week when you have money, you deposit it to that bank account, right?

[00:03:25]And then sometime people could hack into that bank account and withdraw all that money.

[00:03:34]Or sometime the bank went bankruptcy.

[00:03:38]And sometime you lost all that money and then you suffer and you cry.

[00:03:42]But when you try hard to work towards your mindfulness practicing, you are depositing a lot of gold a lot of money into a bank of samsara, a bank of the circle of life, which will go with you life after life.

[00:04:04]It will follow you life after life.

[00:04:06]Let's say in the USA we have Bank of America, Chase Bank. What bank do we have here?

[00:04:14]What is the name of the bank here? Nepal Bank? Nepal Bank?

[00:04:19]After another 30 years, there will be no more Nepal Bank, just for example.

[00:04:26]But a different name of the bank, that Nepal Bank is no longer exist, what's going to happen?

[00:04:37]See, now you have to go find another bank and try to deposit some more money into that bank, right?

[00:04:44]And we keep doing that every single throughout our life.

[00:04:49]But when you deposit into the bank of merit, you don't have to change any name. You don't have to try to open another account. You don't have to go to the bank, stay in line, try to deposit, try to withdraw, all that task.

[00:05:07]You are not doing all of that.

[00:05:09]All you need to do just have mindful thought, mindful speech, mindful action, practicing like that every day. You automatically deposit into that bank.

[00:05:20]And then when the right time comes, all those money, all those merit that you've been depositing, it will come to you to support you, to lift you up from suffering.

[00:05:37]You don't have to do anything. You don't have to go in stay in line waiting for approval or anything like that.

[00:05:46]But we are not thinking like that.

[00:05:49]We never have that intention.

[00:05:52]We think totally opposite way. That is why we are lack of effort in practicing.

[00:06:01]Because we are not suffering enough.

[00:06:07]To be honest, because we are not seeing that our sufferings is our so much so much suffering.

[00:06:19]We just see something suffering that just comes and goes and then we move on.

[00:06:27]See, for that reason we are not scared.

[00:06:29]We are not afraid.

[00:06:31]We continue committing to a bad karma.

[00:06:35]All those bad karma.

[00:06:37]But when you realize that you have going in this samsara life after life on Buddha, first Buddha born into seven Buddha, third Buddha, and now the fourth Buddha, we still here. How many life is it already?

[00:06:57]And how many samsara countless.

[00:07:02]But we are still not scared.

[00:07:04]We still feel like, "Oh, I love this samsara. I love this circle of life."

[00:07:12]So we are enjoying it. That is why we are not practicing hard enough.

[00:07:18]Because meditation we have to be honest is boring.

[00:07:25]Is that right?

[00:07:28]It's boring versus you go to concert, you go to any type of event, musical event.

[00:07:37]If there is a really handsome actor come to town, you would spend hours and a lot of money to go see that actor and then take some pictures, maybe? Yes?

[00:07:51]Okay.

[00:07:52]You would try hard, you would fight for it.

[00:07:59]But then when come to meditation, when you breathe in, breathe out, thought arise.

[00:08:08]And now you feel angry [clears throat] about that those thoughts.

[00:08:13]Why do I have all those big thoughts?

[00:08:15]Why can't my mind just be settled? Why can't it just be empty?

[00:08:22]And then you try hard to bring your concentration back to the end.

[00:08:27]Breathe in, hamburger pop up.

[00:08:31]Breathe out, job opportunity pop up.

[00:08:35]Breathe in, our kid pop up.

[00:08:38]Breathe out, our husband maybe hanging out with another lady, maybe, pop up.

[00:08:47]All those things popping up one after another.

[00:08:50]And then it cool you off from this. Now you say, "I'm so tired. I'm exhausted. I don't want to continue." Now you give it up.

[00:08:59]>> [clears throat] >> Go back to the old days again, suffering.

[00:09:06]And then when you suffer enough to the point that you can't bear those feeling anymore.

[00:09:11]>> My dear friends, many of us have been listening to Dhamma talks for years.

[00:09:16]We have learned so much, yet when it comes to practicing mindfulness and meditation, we often find ourselves becoming weaker instead of stronger.

[00:09:26]Why does this happen?

[00:09:28]In worldly life, whenever we set a goal, we are willing to work hard.

[00:09:34]If we want to become a doctor, an engineer, or achieve success, we dedicate years of effort.

[00:09:41]We study, sacrifice, and persevere because we know those efforts will bring results.

[00:09:48]But when it comes to mindfulness and meditation, our effort often fades away.

[00:09:53]Why?

[00:09:54]Because meditation does not promise wealth. It does not give us fame, a higher salary, or worldly status. It does not guarantee a perfect family or material success. Therefore, the mind does not value it in the same way. Yet the Buddha's teachings reveal something much greater. Every moment of mindfulness, every wholesome thought, every kind word, and every good action becomes a treasure that can never be lost. Worldly wealth may disappear.

[00:10:24]Banks can fail. Possessions can be taken away. But the merit and wisdom developed through practice remain with us and support us life after life.

[00:10:34]This is the true treasure.

[00:10:36]Unfortunately, many of us do not see the depth of suffering clearly.

[00:10:41]We experience pain and difficulties, but soon we forget and continue chasing the same worldly pleasures. Because we do not fully understand suffering, we do not develop a strong sense of urgency.

[00:10:54]We have wandered in samsara for countless lives, yet we are still not afraid. Sometimes we even become attached to this endless cycle.

[00:11:03]Meditation may seem boring compared with the excitement of entertainment, concerts, or worldly pleasures. Sitting quietly and watching the breath does not appear exciting. Thoughts arise, distractions come, and we become frustrated. But this is the path to freedom. Whenever laziness appears and tells you, "Practice later. Get some sleep. Enjoy yourself first." Do not allow the mind to deceive you. Tell yourself, "Enough is enough.

[00:11:32]I have wandered in suffering long enough. I will not allow my mind to cheat me anymore. I will continue to practice. I will move forward. I will overcome."

[00:11:43]Friends, this human life is precious.

[00:11:46]The opportunity to encounter the Buddha's teachings is extremely rare.

[00:11:51]Let us not waste this opportunity. May we cultivate mindfulness. May we develop wisdom. May we overcome suffering. And may all beings be happy, peaceful, and free. Sadhu. Sadhu. Sadhu.