About This Answer
Several questions are answered here. Why may monks not cut trees? It is not a breach of the general precepts, but trees may hold nests, so monks leave it to novices. How can one find joy in practice when conditions obstruct it? Each person must find their own skilful means. For Ajahn Dtun it was contemplating death: as a boy he watched a run-over dog decompose day by day, and later, on a crowded bus, seeing a baby, a sick woman and an old man, he realised everyone aboard was travelling toward death. Reading the Buddha's final words about conditioned things then cut his ties with the world.
On technical Pali terms, he suggests practising rather than studying too much. Parents should set a good example by keeping the five precepts, and should think carefully before having children they will not raise. For a restless mind, keep returning to the breath; he recalls asking why, if people can tame horses and dogs, he could not train his own mind. Drowsy meditators may open their eyes.