The Eye of Discernment is an anthology of teachings from Phra Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo. He outlines his thoughts especially about the methods of meditation he taught for years in Thailand. For instance, he points out that there is no sharp division between the practice of tranquility meditation and insight meditation. He also emphasizes the role played by experimenting and using one’s powers of observation in developing meditation as a skill. The Eye of Discernment was compiled and translated to English by Thanissaro Bhikku and the book was first published in 2003. From the book:
Directing your mind along the path
In practicing meditation, if you direct your mind along the right path, you’ll see results in the immediate present. At the same time, if you lead yourself astray, you’ll reap harm in the immediate present as well. For the most part, if meditators lack the training that comes from associating with those who are truly expert and experienced, they can become deluded or schizoid in a variety of ways. How so? By letting themselves get carried away with the signs or visions that appear to them, to the point where they lose sense of their own bodies and minds. Playing around with an external kasina is a special culprit in this regard. Those who lack sufficient training will tend to hallucinate, convinced of the truth of whatever they focus on, letting themselves get carried away by what they know and see The Craft of the Heart until they lose touch with reality, making it difficult for any sort of discernment to arise. For this reason, in this guide I have taught to focus exclusively on the body and mind, the important point being not to fasten on or become obsessed with whatever may appear in the course of your practice.
Download The Eye of Discernment here (92 pages/9MB):
