Re: [ACWDYG ] January 8th, 2008, Banteay Meanchey Provincial Prison - "Poisons are Everywhere"

Wow! This is awesome. I just responded to the "feeling useless" chat mail and this lines up with it. These feelings are indeed the very poison this chat mail speaks of. I wish you all well in this year. The poisons grow greater let's use our resources and strengths together to weaken the Poisons.. Ness

----- Original Message ----
From: John Kimbrough <johnckimbrough@yahoo.com>
To: johnckimbrough@yahoo.com
Sent: Monday, January 7, 2008 8:04:30 PM
Subject: [ACWDYG ] January 8th, 2008, Banteay Meanchey Provincial Prison - "Poisons are Everywhere"

– January 8th, 2008,

Poisons are Everywhere

You may understand this when I say it in the Khmer
language. "T'num Pul Nou Krooptee Gonlaing". It means
in English "Poisons are Everywhere".

I think you know what these poisons are because the
Khmer people, be they prisoners or guards, or monks,
teachers, sellers and housewives are all very
intelligent.

But of course, poisons can be well hidden by beautiful
disguises and their appearance.

Sometimes we are using a poison and we do not even
know it.

Is watching a lot of television, even though it is
relaxing, comfortable and pleasing to the senses
poison?

How about eating more then we need to eat or talking
excessively?

What if we always need to buy new things or worry a
lot about impressing other people?

See, those things that poison us can be very subtle.

The Buddha wants us to understand that the workings
and tendencies of our own mind can be poisoning us
also.

He teaches us what these poisons are. They are things
such as greed, anger, restlessness, worry, laziness
and doubt.

Through his teachings we become more mindful about
these poisons and just as importantly, we become
mindful about how to weaken and destroy them.

So as you perhaps struggle at times with practicing
Yoga postures and meditation today, remember that we
do these things to destroy the poisons that are always
in our mind and can also enter into our life from
other sources and make us and others sick.

eay Meanchey Provincial Prison

Yours very sincerely and respectfully,

John