We can practice the Dharma when we are still, when we are standing.

The sharing of these few stories is not to argue right and wrong, but to discern cause and effect. Whether it's cause or effect, hopefully we can all gain some insight.

1. Stand for days and nights for a desired car, "abide" in satisfying the desire, or "abide" in a necessary means of transport, the persistence and patience during the process is worth it, and finally obtained the car key.

2. The military police stand on guard for hours. Their positions are not moved by any psychological or mental changes, they “abide” in their reputation and maintaining the dignity of the country.

3. Angulimala was misled by the teachings of heretics to believe that he will attain enlightenment after he killed 1000 people. He wore a necklace made from the cut fingers of the 999 people he had killed and everybody hid from him in terror. He was looking for the last person to kill to complete the mission and even thought of killing his own mother to make up the number. In order to guide him to the right path, the Buddha walked slowly in front of him. However, no matter how hard he chased, he could not catch up with the Buddha. He called out: “Stop! Stop” and the Buddha replied: “I have stopped, but you have not stopped your intent of killing”. After listening to the Buddha’s teachings, Angulimala threw away his weapons and followed the Buddha (he discovered awareness) and became a monk. When faced with the wrath of the villages, he “abides” in awareness: he did not wallow in thoughts, did not entangle in emotions, did not indulge in pleasures, did not torment himself in suffering, and was firm and unshakable.

4. Before the Buddha entered Parinibbana under the twin Sal Trees, Venerable Ananda asked the Buddha four questions on behalf of the public, one of which was "Where will the Buddha's disciples abide in the future?" The Buddha replied," Abide by the Four Foundation of Mindfulness." Maintaining "Right Mindfulness" according to the body, feelings, vexations and thoughts, and further establish "Right View" (observing and contemplating) on the impermanence of the phenomena of birth and death of the body, feelings, vexations and thoughts, is non-substantial and without self. Let go of your attachment to your body, feelings, vexations and thoughts, and you will be free from form, sound, smell, taste, touch and mental objects (6 sense objects), willing to return and live your life in a state of right mindfulness and not engaging to your attachments. What is more, even at the end of his life, the Arahat whom has attained enlightenment still abides in the Four Foundation of Mindfulness, that is, "Abides Nowhere", just as the Diamond Sutra expounds “Produce the Thought Which Abides Nowhere”, and “Produce the Thought without entering into form, sound, smell, taste, touch and mental objects.

5. The place of residence after renunciation is called “Abode”, there is a saying of “abodes made of iron, monks who come and go like water”; superficially it means that the abodes are erect like pine, while monks come and go like the water flows; the ancient temples are still there but not the people.

From the perspective of practice, "abode" refers to abiding in the Dharma body (awareness), abiding independently in awareness (awareness not corresponding to the clinging mind). It can be interpreted on two levels: one being that Dharma lineage passed on through generations of monks, which is to continuously propagate the Dharma of awareness; the second is to deeply realize that "monks" signifies that our thoughts and emotions rise and fall like flowing water, while in relation, the awareness signified by the "abode" means that awareness is like iron, neither rising nor falling. The true meaning of “Renunciation” is “to renounce the root of vexations”, which is “Home is nowhere, home is everywhere”. When travelling, roaming the world, even to the end of life, one still “abides”, this is the real “home”.

What to abide in? The choice is mine.