On disciples

Disciples are hard to teach. Some know but don’t bother to practice. Some don’t know and don’t try to find out. I don’t know what to do with them. Why is it that humans have minds like this? Being ignorant is not good, but even if I tell them, they still don’t listen. People are so full of doubts in their practice. They always doubt. They want to go to Nibbana but they don’t want to walk the path. It’s baffling. When I tell them to meditate, they’re afraid, and if not afraid, then just plain sleepy. Mostly they like to do the things I don’t teach. This is the pain of being a teacher.
~ Ajahn Chah

弟子很難教。有些知道，但懶得去修行。有些不知道，也不想弄清楚。我不知道該怎麼處理他們。為什麼人類有這樣的思想？愚昧是不好的，但即使我告訴他們，他們也不聽。人們在修行上充滿了疑惑。他們總是懷疑。他們想得証涅槃，但不想走這條路。真令人費解。當我叫他們坐禪，他們害怕，若不害怕，那就只是單純的打瞌睡。他們大多喜歡做我不教的事情。這就是當老師的痛苦。
~ 阿姜查尊者