S took a cursory glance at some alternative seats at the centre, where there is a full-house Dharma talk about to start.
S: There are better seats there by the side of the building (which is out of the line of sight).
G: What’s wrong with here?
S: The seat here is on sloping ground and it’s much hotter. Come and see what I mean!
G: Nay, it’s okay.
S: See you – I’m going over.
G later realised that the area S went to had many cooling electric fans. He had assumed that there are no chairs there, that he had to sit on the floor, when there are many chairs available. S thought aloud to G at the end of the talk, ‘Thinking that there’s nothing wrong with where we are is exactly what’s wrong. WE then suffer needlessly. When others shared the Pure Land teachings with me, I used to disregard them, thinking Samsara is good enough. But if I don’t even appreciate a place that empowers me to exit Samsara easier, how am I ever going to leave here? If we believe there are worse places for practising the Dharma – like the hells, why do we not believe there are better places to practise the Dharma, like Pure Land?’