35. Don’t aim in the wrong direction

In addition to the wisdom that came straight from his heart, Luang Pu would also quote passages from his having read the Canon. Any passage that he saw as important, as a short and direct lesson in the practice, he would repeat to us. For instance, one of the Buddha’s teachings that he liked to quote was this: “Monks, this holy life is not practiced for the sake of deceiving the public, nor for the sake of gaining their respect, nor for the sake of gains, offerings, and fame; nor for the sake of defeating other sectarians. This holy life is lived for the sake of restraint, abandoning, dispassion, and the cessation of suffering.”

Luang Pu would then add,