When I was visiting the monastery in Thailand, I often heard Ajahn Anan use a phrase that was a quote from his teacher, Ajahn Chah, “Not sure, not sure”. I think that is quite a nice thing to hold in mind — that nothing is sure. When our mind gets stuck in a tense situation, worrying about this or that, it is good to be able to say, “Not sure, not sure.” What we are afraid of or worried about is not sure to even happen. Similarly, when we are all excited about something, it is good to remember that it is also not sure, and not get too excited about the prospect of samsaric happiness or of something going our way. When we are complacent about practising the Dharma, when we are just taking the good circumstances we have for granted and expecting things to continue the way they are, remembering “not sure, not sure”, wakes us up out of that complacency. It reminds us to use our time wisely while we have good health, while we are alive, and while our mind is functioning well. Remembering “not sure, not sure” can put everything into a good perspective so that we can make our lives meaningful. 

“365 Gems of Wisdom” e-book is out now!