A Backdrop for Reflection

You have to find someone you resonate with. I’d been in other places and nothing had really clicked. I didn’t have a fixed idea of having a teacher either; I had a strong sense of independence. But with Luang Por I felt a very strong gut reaction. Something worked for me with him.

The training at Wat Pah Pong was one of putting you in situations where you could reflect on your reactions, objections, etc. so that you began to see the opinions, views and prejudices and attachments that come up naturally in those situations. Luang Por was always emphasizing the need to reflect on the way things are.

That is what I found most helpful, because when you’re as self-centred and opinionated as I was then, you really need to open your mind. And so I found Luang Por’s way much more clear and direct. As I was very suppressed already, I really needed a way of looking at myself honestly and clearly, rather than just trying to suppress my feelings and force my mind into more refined states.

He was also very aware of the individual needs of the bhikkhus, so it wasn’t like there was a blanket technique. He realized that you really have to figure it out for yourself, and so how I saw him, how he affected me, was that he seemed to provide a backdrop for my life from which I could reflect.

This reflection by Ajahn Sumedho as recounted by Jayasaro is from the booklet, Twain Shall Meet, (pdf) p. 8.