How to use a skillful means to remember the urgency to practice?

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

5 November 2024

Question:  How to use a skillful means to remember the urgency to practice?

Tan Ajahn: You need to be around people who practice, you need to have a good environment. 

If you stay around people who practice, they will constantly remind you to practice. But if you live with people who don’t practice but who do other things, they can distract you from practicing.

If you cannot live in the company of people who practice, like living in the temple, then you must constantly think about your practice and constantly think about the fact that you are getting sick, getting old, and dying. This will spur you into action. But I think the best thing is to leave your present environment if it is not supporting your practice. The distractions are a hindrance to your practice.

That is what I said in my last talk; you have to use vimaṁsā, analytical thinking. You have to differentiate what supports your practice, what pushes you forward, and what pulls you back. 

Whatever pulls you back, you should eliminate or get away from. Whatever pushes you forward, you should keep them around you.

The Buddha said the environment that will push your practice forward is to live in seclusion, to be alone where no one will distract you from your practice, to only be with your own desire/kilesa. But that is only one part. If you live with other people and you live in a bad environment, then you have five other things that pull you away from your practice: sight, sound, smell, taste, and tactile objects will keep pulling you away from your practice.

So, you need to go live in seclusion, and live near a meditation master, a teacher who will constantly remind you, who will constantly energize you.


“Dhamma for the Asking, Dec 9, 2014”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g

How does the joy arising from dāna or helping others help us to meditate better?

Question: How does the joy arising from dāna or helping others help us to meditate better?

Tan Ajahn: The joy that arises will make your mind more peaceful and calm; it will enable you to be able to keep the precepts, making your mind calmer. You need a calm mind to meditate effectively.

If your mind is still agitating for money, for things, you will find it difficult to sit and meditate; your mind wants to have more money, thinking that if you have more money, you will become happier. But instead you become more agitated. When you do the opposite and give dāna, you give money away. Your action signals that you don’t want any more money, that you want to have less money, or that you want to have just enough money for maintaining your life. If you have that attitude, then your mind will not be agitated by your desire for money, and at the same time when you help other people with your money, you have compassion, mettā, and karuṇā. This will make you not want to hurt other people, and you will find that keeping the precepts is very easy.

When you break the precepts, your mind will become agitated, anxious, and worried. When you do not break the precepts, your mind will be peaceful and calm, so it will be easy for you to develop mindfulness and to meditate. They are the prerequisites for your bhāvanā.

Sīla is the prerequisite for your bhāvanā, and dāna is the prerequisite for your sīla. If you cannot give away your money or you want more money, you will find it difficult to keep the precepts because when you want more money, you will do anything to get it. If you have to cheat, you will cheat. If you have to lie, you will lie. But when you don’t have the desire for more money, but have the desire to help other people, then you will find that keeping the precepts is easy.

“Dhamma for the Asking, Dec 9, 2014”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g

“’If I don’t stop, how can I be happy?"

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

2 November 2024

“’If I don’t stop, how can I be happy?"

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

Layperson: The problem with us, the Europeans is that, since we were kids, we were taught to do more things, to be creative, to be more productive. After 30 or 40 years of life we were told that we would understand life from our doings.

Than Ajahn: The reason for you to do all these things is because you are looking for happiness. You want to be happy and you think by doing these things you will be happy. People are judged by three things: his own ego, his creativity, and his self-worth.

There are two approaches to life: doing or not doing. 

Finding happiness by not doing anything is easier. You just sit down. You don’t need anything to be happy. You don’t have to have anything – no cars, no mansions, nothing. If you can do that, why not? It is easier than having to do so many things, having to work so hard, or having to work seven days a week, ten hours a day in order to buy a Ferrari.

At least you have come here and see that there is another different side of life. I was like you. I went to school and studied to become an engineer. After I graduated, I asked myself, what is the next goal? 

Looking for a job. After having a job, what is the next goal? Making myself richer, better. So, I was just like you. I kept chasing one goal after another. Then I asked myself, ‘When will I stop? If I don’t stop, how can I be happy?’

Then I started reading about Buddhism and it taught me that everything is impermanent. No matter how much I have, one day I am going to lose it all, so why bother looking for it? So, I stop acquiring things and try to live without having anything. I found this way easier, less stressful, and more conducive to peace of mind.


“Dhamma in English, Jun 30, 2015.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g

Freedom From Anger, Understand It, Overcoming It, and Finding Joy, ~ Venerable Sumanasara,

Freedom From Anger, Understand It, Overcoming It, and Finding Joy,
~ Venerable Sumanasara,

When Rejection Grows Too Strong

Anger arises when we see, hear, taste, smell, or think about something that we reject out of a sense of distaste or dislike; the energy that accompanies feelings such as “I don’t want to eat that” or “I can’t stand talking to that person” is anger.  When this rejection energy grows strong, it can be a terrible thing.  The feeling of not wanting to talk to or encounter some person can easily evolve into the feeling of not even wanting that person to exist. If it escalates even further, the feeling can become so strong that it becomes impossible even to tolerate the person living in the same country—you may even want to kill him.

That’s how far anger can go—to the point where it’s capable of tearing apart nature, society, anything in its path.  But we also know that anger is born from within, so we can say this much about it:  “If you fix yourself, you can leave anger behind.”  In truth, it’s entirely up to you.

Venerable Sumanasara

“The main point of ānāpānasati.”

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

30 October 2024

“The main point of ānāpānasati.”

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

Layperson: What is the main point of ānāpānasati?

Than Ajahn: Just watch your breathing. Just know that you are breathing in and breathing out. Just watch the contact point of your breath at the tip of your nose. 

When you can feel the contact point, you just watch it, don’t follow the air – the air that is moving in or out, just stay at one point. You want to fix the mind at one point. You don’t want the mind to move with the breath. Don’t follow the breath that goes in and out. Fix it at the tip of the nose where you can feel the air. Just stay there and don’t think about anything.

If you think, it means that you are not mindful. 

You are not watching your breathing. You are watching your thinking instead. Just pay attention to your breathing. Don’t pay attention to anything else.

Don’t lose your concentration, don’t be distracted. 

There are many kinds of distractions, such as the noise outside or the noise inside, images that arise, so just don’t pay attention to them. Just focus on your breathing, on your meditation subject, then eventually everything will disappear. If you read my books, you should have enough information to get you going.

- - -

Layperson: In your book, when you said samādhi, does it mean jhāna?

Than Ajahn: Yes. samādhi is jhāna. Appanā-samādhi is fourth jhāna. Most people probably get the first or second jhāna. When you are sitting still and watching your breathing, you are probably starting to get to first jhāna but you haven’t gotten into the fourth jhāna where everything stops. You can only concentrate on your breathing, that’s how far you can go, you don’t go deep enough.

When you are concentrating on your breathing, you are already into the first jhāna. When you are aware of your breathing in and breathing out activities, this is the first jhāna. What you want is to go to second, third and fourth jhāna, where the mind becomes completely blank, empty.


“Dhamma in English, Jun 23, 2015.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g

Q & A by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Q & A by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Question: Why is it that Theravāda is considered, with a certain amount of irony, as the small vehicle, whereas Mahāyānists call themselves the great vehicle, which carries its name because they’re more generous? — their goal being, always, the love of others, whereas for Theravāda it’s said to be first the love of yourself?

Thanissaro Bhikkhu: It’s not that Theravādins don’t have any concern about other people. It’s more that we have a different sense of what we’re able to do for other people. We can teach other people how to gain awakening and we can set them a good example, but we can’t actually awaken other people. And it’s also not true that in Theravāda practice you don’t do good for other people. Generosity and virtue are large parts of the path. Even your mindfulness practice is good for others: The Buddha says it’s like being part of an acrobatic team. If you can maintain your balance at all times, it makes it easier for other people on the team to maintain theirs.
And even though arahants leave saṁsāra entirely, they leave a lot of good things behind. Think of the case of Ajaan Mun. Without him, I don’t know where I would be. The forest tradition would not have existed, and Thailand probably would have become Communist — because many of the Communists in Thailand said the reason that they still wanted to hold to Buddhism, instead of rejecting religion, was because they saw the example of the forest monks. So the good that Ajaan Mun did is still living with us.

~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu
https://www.dhammatalks.org/books/Five_Faculties/Section0029.html

Could Tan Ajahn please give instructions on asubha meditation?

The Teaching of Ajahn Sumedho.

11 July 2023

Question: Could Tan Ajahn please give instructions on asubha meditation?

Tan Ajahn: Asubha meditation is to reflect on the repulsive aspect of the body. There are many aspects of the body that we don’t see. 

We see just the good-looking aspect, but we know inside our heart that the body has a lot of parts that we don’t like to see, and yet we remain blind to them.

What we want to do is force the mind to look at the repulsive aspect of the body. Since it is being protected by the skin, you would need the aid of medical journals, like the study of anatomy where they will show you all the parts under the skin, show you the skeleton and all the organs. And this is something that you want to keep in mind, constantly thinking about it until you don’t forget, until eventually when you look at a person, you see the inside (organs) also, not just the outside.

When you see both the outside and the inside of the body, then you can get rid of your desire for that person. If you only see the outside parts of a person, you can become deceived and have the desire, have lust for them. But when you can look inside by memorizing the picture that you see in the anatomy books, for instance, your desire/lust can be stopped or eliminated. So this is what you need to do.

If you cannot see it right now, if you cannot imagine the picture, then you need to see some illustrations in the anatomy books. Or if you want something more than that, you might go to a hospital or a medical school where they have dissection of the body. You can even ask to be an audience to watch the dissection of the body so you can see what is under the skin.

In the old days, since they didn’t have these kinds of illustrations, monks were instructed to go to the cemetery. During the Buddha’s time, when people died, they didn’t cremate or bury them. They just took the body to the cemetery and left it there to decompose or be eaten up by dogs, worms, or vultures.

Monks were instructed to see these parts of the body, to see how the body changes and decomposes after one, three, or seven days. 

Once they saw these things, then they could replay these images in their mind to keep them constantly alive. So every time they had lust, they could use these images to squash the lust/desire.

You need to have samatha first, because the mind will resist if you have no samatha, if you have no calm. Your defilements will create the bad feeling in you every time you look at something unattractive. Every time you look at the repulsiveness of the body, you will feel a gagging sensation. This is the working of your kilesa. If you have jhāna, your mind has suppressed this kilesa, so it will not create this bad feeling for you, and you can look at the body objectively.

You need samatha before you enter into vipassanā. If you don’t have that, you will find it very difficult. You might even eventually hate doing it and won’t want to do any more practice.

“Dhamma for the Asking, Dec 9, 2014”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g

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32 parts of the body

https://32parts.com/

The Path of Serenity & Insight by Bhante Gunaratana

The Path of Serenity & Insight by Bhante Gunaratana

The Buddha does not come into our midst as a savior descended from on high. He comes as an enlightened teacher, a man who has found the way to the end of suffering and who points the way out to others. The path itself every man must follow for himself. It is each man's own delusions and defilements that chain him to the cycle of suffering, and again each man's own efforts at inner purification that pave the road to his deliverance. Since bondage ultimately springs from ignorance (avijja) the key to liberation, the Buddha declares, is found in wisdom , a wisdom which must be generated inwardly as an immediate personal understanding of the basic truths of existence. The Dhamma is paccattam veditabbo vinnuhi " to be realized by the wise within themselves."
It is because personal realization of truth is needed to reach the end of suffering that meditation assumes a position of such crucial importance in the Buddhist formulation of the liberating path. Meditation, for Buddhism, is the means of generating the inner understanding required for deliverance from suffering. Its diversity of techniques stems from the differences in the people to be taught, but its purpose and procedure is the same for all : to produce that purity of mind and clarity of vision needed for the liberating wisdom to arise.

From : The Path of Serenity & Insight by Bhante Gunaratana

“To get to appanā, you have to be constantly mindful and do nothing else.”

“To get to appanā, you have to be constantly mindful and do nothing else.”

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

Layperson: You said that we have to bring our mind to appanā. Is appanā fourth jhāna? So must we bring our mind to appanā?

Than Ajahn: Yes, appanā is fourth jhāna. As a Layperson it is almost impossible to achieve that. You need to be a constant practitioner and do nothing else. It is like playing golf and hit a hole-in-one. You have to be a professional to have that ability. For amateurs, you don’t expect it, you just try to sit and focus your mind and when you gain some level of calm, it is already good enough.

To get to appanā, you have to be constantly mindful and do nothing else. If you have to work, if you have to think, you will never be able to achieve that. It is hard enough for forest monks to achieve this, so it is almost impossible for lay people to achieve it.

- - -

Layperson: Is the fourth jhāna or appanā pre-requisite for us to be able to penetrate the aniccaṁ, dukkhaṁ, anattā?

Than Ajahn: It is not to penetrate the aniccaṁ, dukkhaṁ, anattā. It can give you the strength to resist your desire. If you have fourth jhāna, you have the strength to resist your desire to have this and have that. If you don’t have jhāna, you don’t have the strength to resist your desire.

If you have jhāna, you would probably become a monk now because you can give up your lay life. You cannot give up your lay life because you don’t have something to replace it. You need fourth jhāna to replace the lay life. If you have fourth jhāna then you are a monk now.

- - -

Layperson: When we don’t have jhāna, can we see aniccaṁ, dukkhaṁ, anattā?

Than Ajahn: Yes, we all see it. You see aging, sickness and death but you cannot let go of the body. You know that you are going to die, right? But you are still afraid of dying, right? It is because you cannot give up your body, you don’t have the fourth jhāna to help you to be able to give up the body. If you have fourth jhāna, you know that you don’t need the body, you can exist without the
body. You can be happy without the body. When you don’t have that (fourth jhāna), you still need the body to make you happy.

Without jhāna you cannot have any insight. You need jhāna first. Sīla, samādhi, paññā – they are supporting each other.

“Dhamma in English, Jun 23, 2015.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g

The ABC’s of the Breath by AJAHN LEE.

The ABC’s of the Breath
by AJAHN LEE.

“There are three important parts to meditating: thinking, awareness, and the breath. All three of these parts have to be kept right together at all times. Don’t let any one of them come loose from the others.

‘Thinking’ refers to thinking ‘buddho’ together with the breath. ‘Awareness’ means knowing the breath as it goes in and out. Only when thinking and awareness are kept fastened constantly with the breath can you say that you’re meditating.

... When we start learning to write, we have to use chalk because it’s big, easy to write with and easy to erase. This is like thinking ‘buddho.’ Once we advance in our studies, we start using a pencil because its mark is clear and longer-lasting. For example, the sentence, ‘Where’s Dad?’ is a piece of knowledge. If we can only read the separate letters, ‘W’ or ‘D’, it doesn’t really count as knowledge. So we then throw away our chalk. In other words, we don’t have to repeat ‘buddho.’ We use our powers of evaluation (vic›ra) to see, as we’re breathing: Is the inbreath good? Is the out-breath good? What kind of breathing is comfortable? What kind of breathing isn’t?

Then we correct and adjust the breath. Pick out whichever way of breathing seems good and then observe it to see if it gives comfort to the body. If it does, keep that sense of comfort steady and put it to use. When it’s really good, benefits will arise, perfecting our knowledge. Once we’ve obtained knowledge, we can erase the pencil marks in our notebooks because we’ve seen the benefits that come from what we’ve done. When we go back home, we can take our knowledge with us and make it our homework. We can do it on our own at home; and when we stay at the monastery, we can keep at it constantly.

So the breath is like a piece of paper, the mind is like a person, knowledge is like a note: Even just this much can serve as our standard. If we’re intent on just these three things—thinking, awareness, and the breath—we’ll give rise to knowledge within ourselves that has no fixed limits and can’t possibly be told to anyone else.”

Source: Inner Strength. Chapter: The ABC’s of the Breath
by AJAHN LEE.
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/thai/lee/strength.html#abc

MN 123 Acchariya Abbhuta Sutta

MN 123 Acchariya Abbhuta Sutta

Thus have I heard.

At one time the Blessed One lived in the monastery offered by Anathapindika in Jeta’s grove in Savatthi. A number of bhikkhus assembled and seated in the assembly hall after the alms round, when this conversation arose among them:

‘Friends, it is wonderful , it is marvelous ,mighty is the power of the Tathagata! For he is able to know the Buddhas of the past , who attained to final Nibbana, cut off proliferation, broke the cycle, ended the round, and ended all dukkha ( various aspects of unpleasantness, dissatisfaction, and suffering in life) . Knowing those Blessed Ones were of such birth, name, clan, virtues, state, wisdom, abidings and such deliverance.’ When this was said venerable Ananda told the bhikhus; ‘Friends, indeed Tathagatas are wonderful and marvelous, and endowed with wonderful and marvelous qualities.’ However, this discussion was left unfinished.

When this conversation was going on, the Blessed One emerged from his solitude meditation when it was evening ,went to the assembly hall and sat on the prepared seat. Then he addressed the bhikkhus: ’Bhikkhus, for what discussion are you sitting together here now ? And what was the discussion that was left unfinished?’

"Venerable sir, after the alms round, we were assembled and seated in the assembly hall and this conversation arose among us: ‘Friends, it is wonderful , it is marvelous ,mighty is the power of the Tathagata! For he is able to know the Buddhas of the past , who attained to final Nibbana, cut off proliferation, broke the cycle, ended the round, and ended all dukkha ( various aspects of unpleasantness, dissatisfaction, and suffering in life) . Knowing those Blessed Ones were of such birth, name, clan, virtues, state, wisdom, abidings and such deliverance.’ Venerable sir, when this was said venerable Ananda said to us: ‘Friends, indeed Tathagatas are wonderful and marvelous, and endowed with wonderful and marvelous qualities.’ This was our discussion that was left unfinished when the Blessed One arrived."

Then the Blessed One addressed venerable Ananda. ‘If so Ananda, for the great pleasure of many explain in full the wonderful and marvelous qualities of the Tathagata.’

"Venerable sir I have heard these words from the Blessed One himself and you acknowledged them. ‘‘Attentive (sampajana) and fully aware (sata) Ananda, the Bodhisatta rose in the Tusita heaven.’ Venerable sir, this I hold as something wonderful and marvelous about the Blessed One.

"Venerable sir I have heard these words from the Blessed One himself and you acknowledged them. ‘Attentive (sampajana) and fully aware ( sata), Ananda, the Bodhisatta remained in the Tusita heaven.’ Venerable sir, this too I hold as something wonderful and marvelous about the Blessed One.

"Venerable sir I have heard these words from the Blessed One himself and you acknowledged them. ‘Ananda, the Bodhisatta for the remained for the whole of his life span in Tusita heaven.’ Venerable sir, this too I hold as something wonderful and marvelous about the Blessed One.

"Venerable sir I have heard these words from the Blessed One himself and you acknowledged them. ‘Attentive (sampajana) and fully aware ( sata), Ananda, the Bodhisatta passed away from Tusita heaven, and descended into the mother’s womb.’ Venerable sir, this too I hold as something wonderful and marvelous about the Blessed One.

‘Venerable sir I have heard these words from the Blessed One himself and you acknowledged them. ‘ Ananda, when the Bodhisatta passed away from the Tusita heaven and descended into his mother's womb, there arose an immeasurable radiance transcending the splendor of the gods in the world with its devas, Mara, and Brahma, in this population with its ascetics and brahmins, and human beings. Even the dark uncovered recesses between the world systems where the resplendent moon and sun do not shine there arose an immeasurable radiance transcending the splendor of the gods. The ten thousandfold world system shivered and trembled , and again an immeasurable radiance transcending the splendor of the devas appeared in the world.' Venerable sir, this too I hold as something wonderful and marvelous about the Blessed One.

"Venerable sir I have heard these words from the Blessed One himself and you acknowledged them. ‘Ananda, when the Bodhisatta was born into this world from the mother’s womb four gods stood guarding the four quarters so that no humans or non-humans or anyone at all could harm the Bodhisatta or his mother.’ Venerable sir, this too I hold as something wonderful and marvelous about the Blessed One.

"Venerable sir I have heard these words from the Blessed One himself and you acknowledged them. ‘Ananda, when the Bodhisatta descended into his mother’s womb, she became intrinsically virtuous, abstaining from, destroying living things, taking what is not given, misbehaving sexually, telling lies and intoxicating drinks.’ Venerable sir, this too I hold as something wonderful and marvelous about the Blessed One.

"Venerable sir I have heard these words from the Blessed One himself and you acknowledged them. ‘Ananda, when the Bodhisatta descended into his mother’s womb, sensual desires about men did not arise in her mind. And she was inaccessible to any man having a lustful mind.’ Venerable sir, this too I hold as something wonderful and marvelous about the Blessed One.

"Venerable sir I have heard these words from the Blessed One himself and you acknowledged them. ‘Ananda, when the Bodhisatta descended into his mother’s womb, she was furnished and endowed with the five sense pleasures.’ Venerable sir, this too I hold as something wonderful and marvelous about the Blessed One.

‘Venerable sir I have heard these words from the Blessed One himself and you acknowledged them. ‘Ananda, when the bodhisatta had descended into his mother’s womb, no kind of affliction arose in her; she was blissful and free from bodily fatique. She saw the Bodhisatta in her womb with all his limbs , lacking no faculty. Suppose a well completed comely lapis gem with eight facets, with a thread of blue, yellow, red, white or pale running through it, and a man who could see would place it in his palm and would reflect: ‘ This is the well completed comely lapis gem with eight facets, with a thread of blue, yellow, red, white or pale running through it.’ In the same manner, when the bodhisatta was born to this world , his mother was healthy, happy and had no ailments or pain what so ever. She could see the one in her womb complete with all his limbs, lacking no faculty.’ Venerable sir, this too I hold as something wonderful and marvelous about the Blessed One.

"Venerable sir I have heard these words from the Blessed One himself and you acknowledged them. ‘Ananda, seven days after the birth of the Bodhisatta, his mother passed away and was born in Tusita.’ Venerable sir, this too I hold as something wonderful and marvelous about the Blessed One.

"Venerable sir I have heard these words from the Blessed One himself and you acknowledged them. ‘Ananda, other women give birth bearing the womb for about nine or ten months. That is not so with the Bodhisatta’s mother, the mother of the Bodhisatta bore the womb for exactly ten months.’ Venerable sir, this too I hold as something wonderful and marvelous about the Blessed One.

"Venerable sir I have heard these words from the Blessed One himself and you acknowledged them. ‘Ananda, other women give birth either seated or lying down. That is not so with the Bodhisatta’s mother, the mother of the Bodhisatta gave birth standing.’ Venerable sir, this too I hold as something wonderful and marvelous about the Blessed One.

"Venerable sir I have heard these words from the Blessed One himself and you acknowledged them. ‘Ananda, when the Bodhisatta came forth from his mother’s womb, first gods received him, then human beings..’ Venerable sir, this too I hold as something wonderful and marvelous about the Blessed One.

"Venerable sir I have heard these words from the Blessed One himself and you acknowledged them. ‘Ananda, when the Bodhisatta came forth from his mother’s womb, first gods received him, then human beings..’ Venerable sir, this too I hold as something wonderful and marvelous about the Blessed One.

"Venerable sir I have heard these words from the Blessed One himself and you acknowledged them. ‘Ananda, when the Bodhisatta came forth from his mother’s womb, he did not touched the earth. Four gods received him and placing him in front of the mother saying: “Rejoice, O queen, a son of great power has been born to you.’ Venerable sir, this too I hold as something wonderful and marvelous about the Blessed One.

"Venerable sir I have heard these words from the Blessed One himself and you acknowledged them. ‘Ananda, when the Bodhisatta came forth from his mother’s womb, he was born pure uncontaminated with water in the passage, phlegm, blood or any impurity. As though a gem was placed on a Kasi cloth. The Kasi cloth is not soiled by the gem, nor the gem by the Kasi cloth. This is on account of the purity of both. In the same manner when the Bodhisatta came forth from his mother’s womb, he was born pure uncontaminated with water in the passage, phlegm, blood or any impurity.’ Venerable sir, this too I hold as something wonderful and marvelous about the Blessed One.

"Venerable sir I have heard these words from the Blessed One himself and you acknowledged them. ‘Ananda,when the Bodhisatta came forth from his mother’s womb, two jets of water appeared to pour from the sky, one cool and one warm, for bathing the Bodhisatta and his mother.’ Venerable sir, this too I hold as something wonderful and marvelous about the Blessed One.

"Venerable sir I have heard these words from the Blessed One himself and you acknowledged them. ‘Ananda, soon after the Bodhisatta was born, he stood firmly on his feet, and while a white parasol was held over him, took seven steps to the north, surveyed all four directions and uttered these majestic words: “ I’m the highest in this world, the best and the foremost. This is my last birth, I will not be born again.’ Venerable sir, this too I hold as something wonderful and marvelous about the Blessed One.

‘Venerable sir I have heard these words from the Blessed One himself and you acknowledged them. ‘ Ananda, when the Bodhisatta came forth from his mother's womb, there arose an immeasurable radiance transcending the splendor of the gods in the world with its devas, Mara, and Brahma, in this population with its ascetics and brahmins, and human beings. Even the dark uncovered recesses between the world systems where the resplendent moon and sun do not shine there arose an immeasurable radiance transcending the splendor of the gods. The ten thousandfold world system shivered and trembled , and again an immeasurable radiance transcending the splendor of the devas appeared in the world.' Venerable sir, this too I hold as something wonderful and marvelous about the Blessed One.

‘Then Ananda, bear this too as something wonderful and marvelous about the Tathagata. Here, Ananda for the Tathagata feelings are known as they arise, as they are present, as they disappear. Perceptions are known as they arise, as they are present, as they disappear. Thoughts are known as they arise, as they are present, as they disappear. Ananda, bear this too as something wonderful and marvelous about the Blessed One.

‘Venerable sir, since for the Tathagata feelings are known as they arise, as they are present, as they disappear; perceptions are known as they arise, as they are present, as they disappear; thoughts are known as they arise, as they are present, as they disappear - this too I hold as something wonderful and marvelous about the Blessed One.”

That is what the venerable Ananda said. The Teacher approved. The bhikkhus were satisfied and delighted in the venerable Ananda’s words.

“Meditators should avoid association.”

“Meditators should avoid association.”

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

Layperson: When I first start sitting, I felt some discomfort in my body.

Than Ajahn: They are all distractions. Don’t worry about them. They are your defilements. When you have to do things that your defilements don’t like, they will create all sorts of distractions. Don’t pay attention to them. Just concentrate on your meditation subject, then everything will disappear by itself.

- - -

Layperson: My previous meditation technique was Mahasi technique – rising and falling, but I experienced discomfort.

Than Ajahn: You can change it. Try to watch your breathing instead. Focus your breath at the tip of your nose where the air comes into contact with the body, where it comes in and out of the body. Just focus on that point. Don’t be too intense. Be relaxed.

When you are too intense, you can cause all kinds of problems to arise, so you have to be neutral. You don’t need to have too much enthusiasm or anticipation. Just don’t expect anything. Just watch. If you have a lot of anticipation, you can create a lot of stress later on. Just be neutral. Just say: I am just watching my breathing, I don’t care what happens, I just want to watch the breathing and nothing else. If anything happens, don’t pay attention to it.

- - -

Layperson: I want to spend time the best way I can when I am practising here, so can I talk to other people?

Than Ajahn: Meditators should avoid association. You should separate yourself from others because when you talk your mind starts to think, it starts to work. You want to stop your mind from thinking. So you only come together to do whatever activities that you need to do together. When there is no need, you should separate yourself from others. Stay in your room. Do your own practice.

Unfortunately we don’t have a facility like this (forest) to cater for everybody. So you just have to do with whatever you have and may have to look for some other places outside which can provide you with the environment you want. It is easier if you come alone. If you come in a group, it is very hard to accommodate all of you because we only have a very small facility.

For a real meditator, you should go alone. Then you don’t have to worry about other people. If you go in a group, you always have to wait for everybody to be ready to do things. This can be an impediment to your practice instead of being helpful. I advise you that if you want to meditate, you should go alone. If you cannot, and still need company, then it is okay. You can start from there first, but eventually when you start to advance in your practice, you want to be alone.

You can read my book instead of coming to see me. By reading the books, you probably get a better understanding because it is exactly the same thing with what I am telling you now.

“Dhamma in English, Jun 23, 2015.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g

Seeking Wisdom By Bugs Tan

Seeking Wisdom

One cannot get the full essence of wisdom unless he experienced it himself. And the taste of wisdom can be experienced in 3 parts.

Firstly, he see things happened "as the way it is." Secondly, he understood the process of such phenomena for that thing to happen the way as it is. And due to that understanding, his character begin to change. He starts to let go of things that are dear to him. Knowing those are the same material and relationship that has made him  unhappy.

I finally had the  to perform the pindacara. My dream has finally come true.

My hearth was filled with joy when the devotees who has patiently formed a bee line earlier performed the pindapata. They placed the rice into my almsbowl one by one.
I was overwhelmed with joy and happinees. It was great to see so many of them. There were young and old people. Some even came with wheelchairs.

Tears flowed uncontrollablly and I kept whipping them away on my robe. It was hard for me to hold my bowl and at the same wipe my tears.

The emancipation of joy was so great. I was truly overwhelmed with joy. I melted like a piece of butter in a hot pan

I'm happy for myself and at the same time I'm happy for the devotees who has came out to take part.

It was a beautiful Sunday morning. This memory will stay in my heart forever

Bugs TAN

Facebook
https://vvd.bz/dAO

"The result from giving to charity is to gain a greater sense of goodness in yourself, that you have done something selfless.”

"The result from giving to charity is to gain a greater sense of goodness in yourself, that you have done something selfless.”

- - - 

Question: How should I train myself in order to reduce ego and to cultivate detachment from the dāna that I make?

When I donate $5 or $10, my ego is small, but when I donate $1,000 my ego gets bigger. It is also similar to when I am helping out in the temple for an hour, and my ego is smaller compared to when I spend time helping for more hours when my ego is bigger.

Tan Ajahn: When you do dāna, you must do it altruistically and not want anything in return. You just want to feel good, that is all.

People are sometimes confused; especially some Buddhists think that giving to charity will give them a happier/better life. This is not the result that you will get from giving to charity. The result from giving to charity is to gain a greater sense of well-being, of fullness, of goodness in yourself, that you have done something selfless. You want to eliminate your ego.

Giving dāna is one way of cutting down your ego. And you find doing this hard, because the more you give, the stronger your ego gets and resists your giving. But if you can win this battle over yourself, then it means you have moved forward.

In the past, if you used to give $5, then now you want to give $10, and you find it difficult to do, you must force yourself to do it. If you can do it, you will feel much better than giving the $5, and the next time you will want to give more than that.

You can do this by asking yourself, do I really need to keep this money? If the answer is no, then what do you keep it for? You are not going to use it anyway. When you die, you cannot take it with you. Why not give it away? When you give it away, you will feel proud that you have done certain things that you could not do before.

You should also think of great people like the Lord Buddha. All these people gave up everything that they had. The Buddha was a prince and was willing to give up his princely life to live like a beggar. If he hadn’t done this, he wouldn’t have become a Buddha.

If you want to be able to be successful in your meditation, you have to be willing to give up everything. By giving gradually at first. It is just a step-by-step approach to get you more accustomed to giving, to sacrificing, to letting go of your attachments, and to eliminating your ego. These are the things that are important if you want to move forward.

“Dhamma for the Asking, Dec 2, 2014”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g

A Verb for Nirvana
Thanissaro Bhikkhu

"... There was a time when some philosophers in India reasoned that if nirvana is one place and samsara another, then entering into nirvana leaves you stuck: you've limited your range of movement, for you can't get back to samsara. Thus to solve this problem they invented what they thought was a new kind of nirvana: an unestablished nirvana, in which one could be in both places — nirvana and samsara — at once.

However, these philosophers misunderstood two important points about the Buddha's teachings. The first was that neither samsara nor nirvana is a place. Samsara is a process of creating places, even whole worlds, (this is called becoming) and then wandering through them (this is called birth). Nirvana is the end of this process. You may be able to be in two places at once — or even develop a sense of self so infinite that you can occupy all places at once — but you can't feed a process and experience its end at the same time. You're either feeding samsara or you're not. If you feel the need to course freely through both samsara and nirvana, you're simply engaging in more samsara-ing and keeping yourself trapped...."

A Verb for Nirvana
Thanissaro Bhikkhu
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/nirvanaverb.html

“Your meditation improves correspondingly to the improvement of your mindfulness.”

“Your meditation improves correspondingly to the improvement of your mindfulness.”

- - -


Question: With regards to meditation, is it generally true that one should aim to meditate as long as possible, before the kilesas set in? For example, after being able to sit for one hour, should one try to increase it to one and a half hour and then two hours and so on?

Tan Ajahn: The amount of time that you are able to sit depends on the strength of your mindfulness. If you have strong mindfulness, you can sit for a verylong time because you can enter into jhāna very quickly. Once you are in jhāna, it is like you are in a timeless zone. You don’t know the time. You don’t feel anything. You can sit for a long time that way.

But if you haven’t entered jhāna, you will have to experience all kinds of distractions. This can disturb your meditation and you will not be able to sit for long.

So, the important thing is to try to develop strong mindfulness first. Try to develop and maintain mindfulness all day long. Try to stop thinking about things that you don’t need to think about, and then your meditation will improve. Your meditation improves correspondingly to the improvement of your mindfulness.

“Dhamma for the Asking, Dec 2, 2014”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g

“If it only occurs while meditating, then it is your defilements.”

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

20th May, 2022

“If it only occurs while meditating, then it is your defilements.”

Question:  “How can I address aches and pains on certain spots or just one side of my body when I meditate?”

Than Ajahn:  “Don't pay attention to the pain; it's all to do with your defilements (kilesas). 

The pain doesn't occur when you watch a movie, does it? Neither does it occur while reading and playing games, does it? If it only occurs while meditating, then it is your defilements.

Your kilesas will keep obstructing you from calming your mind as they cannot act out when your mind is calm. Defilements don't agree with sitting in meditation; they will create aches and pains on the body. Pay no attention to them. You may sometimes feel itchy here and there. Just don't pay any attention to them. 

Stick to your meditation subject. If you're reciting 'Buddho', just stick to it and pay no attention to other physical sensations; they will subside in a matter of time."

“Essential Teachings”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube: 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g

“What is the core of happiness? And what is the core of wisdom?”

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

18 October 2024

Question (from USA):  “What is the core of happiness? And what is the core of wisdom?”

Than Ajahn:  “The core of happiness is calm, peace of mind. When the mind stops thinking, that’s when you find real happiness.

The core of wisdom is the Four Noble Truths. 

If you understand the Four Noble Truths, then you have the wisdom to overcome all of your suffering, to get rid of your suffering.

So, these are the two things you need: to be completely calm – samādhi; and to have the understanding of the Four Noble Truths.”

*******

Question (from India):  “What is the difference between knowledge and wisdom?”

Than Ajahn:  “It depends on how you define knowledge and wisdom. It can be the same or it can be different. According to Buddhism, wisdom is to know the Four Noble Truths – to see that dukkha is birth, aging, sickness and death; The cause of dukkha is samudaya – the three desires: the sensual desire, the desire to be and the desire not to be; The cessation of suffering; And the truth of the path leading to cessation of suffering. These are the Four Noble Truths that we consider to be wisdom.

Those who can realise this wisdom will be able to rid themselves of suffering and rid themselves from going around the cycle of rebirth. Other knowledge cannot lead you to the cessation of suffering and the cessation of cycle of rebirth. Only the knowledge of the Four Noble Truths can. So, this is considered as the real wisdom, the highest wisdom. Other knowledge or other wisdom will not be able to get rid of your suffering and stop you from going around in the cycle of rebirth.”

Q&A, Nov 14, 2017
Q&A, Jun 14, 2016

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g

“Don’t do anything when the mind becomes calm and peaceful. Don’t start investigation or contemplation during that time.”

“Don’t do anything when the mind becomes calm and peaceful. Don’t start investigation or contemplation during that time.”

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

Question: What is the meditation technique practised here?

Than Ajahn: It is the same everywhere. You can use ānāpānasati or the mantra Buddho. It is up to you. The method that you are comfortable with and you find it useful and can produce (good) results. Basically you must have mindfulness all the time before you can sit and succeed in your meditation. If you don’t have mindfulness, when you sit, your mind will not stop thinking but will keep wandering, thinking about this and that instead of focusing on your meditation subject.

First, you have to bring your mind to stop wandering. You have to maintain mindfulness all day long, from the time you get up to the time you go to sleep. You need to have something for your mind to be fixed on to and do not let it move around. You can use a mantra: Buddho Buddho Buddho; or you can watch your body activities. If you can bring your mind to a stationary state, then when you sit down, you can succeed in your meditation.

If you have mindfulness, when you sit in meditation, you can watch your breathing. You can use your breathing as your meditation subject. Just focus on your breathing, and don’t think about other things. Don’t worry about the breathing whether it is short or long, whether it is coarse or fine. Just be aware of the breath.

Use the breathing as your point of focus to keep your mind from wandering, and going to places. If you concentrate continuously, your mind will suddenly drop into calm. When the mind becomes calm, there is nothing for you to do because the mind will just stop doing anything. Then you can just be aware and let the mind rest for as long as possible.

Don’t do anything when the mind becomes calm and peaceful. Don’t start investigation or contemplation during that time. You have to wait until the mind withdraws from that calm state because you want to establish the strength of calm mind to resist your defilements later on. It is like your body. You need to rest your body before you go out and work. So you don’t want to do anything when the body goes to sleep. You don’t want to wake it up, you want to let the body sleep for as long as it wants.

After the body has rested. You can then get up and can go to work with strength. It is the same with the mind; the mind needs the strength of upekkhā.

“Dhamma in English, Jun 23, 2015.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g

**********

“Don’t stop, just continue on practicing."

“Don’t stop, just continue on practicing."

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

Lay devotee: When a person has been meditating for a long time, but if he stops and when he comes back (to meditation), it takes a long time to restart.

Than Ajahn: Yes, it is like a computer. It takes a while to restart.

Lay devotee: It takes a long time because the mind cannot bring him to where he left off.

Than Ajahn: Don’t stop, just continue on practicing.

Lay devotee: What if he has to stop due to work, etc?

Than Ajahn: Then you have to reboot. You have to restart. It is like a computer, you don’t turn it off, right? You turn it on all day long. If you turn it off, when you want to use it, you would have to wait for it to restart. In the same way, try not to stop practising.

Try to give weightage to the importance of practicing over other matters. Give priority to your practice. Everything else comes and goes and they don’t really give you the same benefit as what you will get from your practice.

Lay devotee: Even when he tries his best to get back to where he stopped before he switched off the computer, it is still so difficult to get back to where he was. Although he is practising more, his mind keeps on pulling him back.

Than Ajahn: Yes, I know. You have to restart. That’s all. There is nothing else you can do. If you are used to running every day and you stop running for one year, then when you start running again, you won’t be able to run the same distance that you did before you stopped. You have to start from the beginning again. That’s the fact of life. That’s why once you start, don’t stop.

“Dhamma in English, Jun 14, 2015.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g

WHO WE REALLY ARE By Ajahn Sumedho

WHO WE REALLY ARE

“ When we are contemplating the Dhamma, the teaching of the Buddha, it is very skilful to question what a personality really is: the sense of our own separateness, individuality, the perception of ourselves as a person that's separate from the rest. Nowadays people are beginning to understand more and more about the nature of consciousness, but although it is an experience that we all have, it is probably the least understood. Scientists are studying consciousness, trying to find a physical base for it. Is it in the brain? What is it?... but it's like trying to find our real self. The more we try to find out who we really are, the more we seem to be going in circles or chasing after shadows; we can't really get hold of anything for very long and it vanishes.

 However, it is not the self - who or what we are - that is the problem. Rather, it's our delusions around the perceptions of what we are, the conditioning of the mind that we acquire after birth. When we are born, the new baby child is conscious but it has no sense of being a person, a personality; this is something that is instilled into us as we grow up. All kinds of impressions and assumptions are given to us through our parents, our peers, and the society that we live in. We are continually fed with information about what we are and what we should be. So the thrust of meditation is to begin to realise the true nature of the mind that isn't conditioned by perception, cultural conditioning, thought or memory.

 If we try to think about meditation practice as this or that, we're creating an image that we're trying to realise, rather than just trusting in the attentiveness of the mind, in mindfulness; letting go of the desire to find or grasp anything. As soon as we think about ourselves, we become a person - somebody - but when we are not thinking, the mind is quite empty and there is no sense of person. There is stillconsciousness, sensitivity, but it's not seen in terms of being a person, of being a man or a woman; there is just awareness of what is happening - what the feeling is, the mood, the atmosphere that one is experiencing in this moment. We can call this intuitive awareness. It is not programmed and conditioned by thought or memory or perception.”

Source : Who We Really Are
by AJAHN SUMEDHO
https://www.dhammatalks.net/Books3/Ajahn_Sumedho_Who_We_Really_Are.htm

Where does the mind go when one is sleeping?

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

26 October 2024

Question: Where does the mind go when one is sleeping?

Tan Ajahn: The mind and the body are not really in the same place. The mind has its own place of existence, and the body has its own place of existence.

Let me give you an example. The mind is like the controller of the spacecraft. You send a spacecraft into space, and the controller is on earth. You communicate through radio waves.

This is the same way that the mind communicates with the body, we call it viññāṇa. Viññāṇa will receive all the data from the body such as the eyes, ears, nose, tongue and mind. Then the mind will use saṅkhāra, which is thinking to instruct the body what to do.

So, the mind is in what we call the celestial world or in the spiritual world, while the body is in the physical world. The mind is in contact with the body through the viññāṇa.  This is like the spacecraft and the controller. 

The controller stays on earth, while the spacecraft is in space.

When the body goes to sleep, it means that the mind and the body stop communicating temporarily. 

Sometimes the mind will do whatever it likes. 

Sometimes it will think of the past, it will go to some places that it might have visited before; it can be quite varied, but you don’t know about it. Sometimes when you dream, you are not sure what you were dreaming about, whether you were dreaming about this life or past lives. Sometimes you don’t dream at all, or sometimes the mind just wants to rest. It stops thinking.

But the mind and the body are never in the same place. 

Should anything happen to the body, should there be a nuclear bomb and all the bodies are incinerated, the mind will still remain the same. The mind of everybody remains the same. The mind is indestructible, because the mind is not in this world. Even if this world should explode, when this world no longer exists, the mind still exists. If the mind still has desires, it will go look for a new body on a different earth, in a different world.

Imagine the people in a spacecraft; if they lose this spacecraft, they will build a new one, and then they will send the new spacecraft into space to explore some more. So this is like the body and the mind.

Finally, let me remind you that you are the mind, that you are not the body. Don’t worry about the body, you will lose it one day. Take care of your mind. And the way to take care of the mind is to bhāvanā, to develop mindfulness (sati), samādhi and paññā. That is all you have to do because the mind will be with you all the time. The mind is your real possession.

But right now it doesn’t have the right knowledge to look after itself. It doesn’t have the Dhamma necessary to become peaceful, calm, and wise. The mind is still deluded. The mind still thinks the mind itself is the body. 

When you bhāvanā, you will eventually get to the state where you see that the mind and the body are two separate things.

In the meantime, just keep reminding yourself, I am not the body. I am going to lose the body one day, sooner or later. But losing the body is not important because I can always get a new body. I have lost so many bodies before so I won’t worry about losing the body. The only worry is to worry about not having the Dhamma to look after the mind.

“Dhamma for the Asking, Dec 2, 2014”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g

“The person who has already been there can tell you exactly how to get there…. However, if you don’t become enlightened, don’t blame me immediately, instead you may have to blame yourself because you either might not have practiced correctly or you might not be practising hard enough.”

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

19 October 2024

“The person who has already been there can tell you exactly how to get there…. However, if you don’t become enlightened, don’t blame me immediately, instead you may have to blame yourself because you either might not have practiced correctly or you might not be practising hard enough.”

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

Than Ajahn: Studying is the first important thing, listening to Dhamma talks especially from the masters who have attained. There is a lot of difference listening to instructions from those who truly know and those who just imagine that they know.

Lay devotee: How can you tell the difference between the two? 

Than Ajahn: It is like if you are a merchant dealing with diamonds. You have to study how to judge which is genuine. So you have to study and ask people who know how to judge and differentiate which is genuine and which is not. We know because once you come here (to the right place), you already learn a lot. You know Ajahn Mun and Luangta Mahā Boowa. You know they are monks who really know because you have heard from other people. So if you don’t know then you have to study or ask for advice from those who know.

To know whether they really ‘know’, you have to practise to see whether their instructions can provide you with the result that you want. Then you know that they really ‘know’. Because if they don’t know then they would not be able to instruct you on the practice that leads to the result that you want to achieve. 

This is one way to prove that the one who teaches you, knows what he is talking about. You have to practise following his instructions.

After you have realized the result from following his instructions in your practice, then you know that this person really ‘knows’. If someone tells you how to get to a certain place, but if he has not been there before, he might not be able to tell you exactly the right direction. But if he has been there before, he can tell you exactly the right direction. When you listen to someone who has not been there before, you might not get to where you want to go, so you know this person doesn’t know what he is talking about.

The person who has already been there can tell you exactly how to get there and you can get there by following his instructions. Then you know that he must have been there before. This is another way to prove.

All noble disciples of the Buddha have proven that the Buddha truly became enlightened because they used his instructions to guide themselves to become enlightened. Then they know that the Buddha must be truly enlightened. If he had not been truly enlightened, he would not have been able to guide them to become enlightened.

You need to prove it through your practice then you will know that this teacher of yours ‘knows’, that he has become enlightened, because by following his instructions you can also become enlightened. Now it is your turn, you have already studied, now you have to practice, to see what I have said is what it should be or not. However, if you don’t become enlightened, don’t blame me immediately, instead you may have to blame yourself because you either might not have practiced correctly or you might not be practising hard enough.

Lay devotee: Is it through meditation?

Than Ajahn: Of course. Samatha and vipassana bhavana. That is the core of the practice with the support of dāna and sīla. Dāna is to give up your possessions, not just 10% but 100%. You give up everything so you can be free to be ordained and not to disrobe. If you are ordained and you disrobe, what’s the point of being ordained? It becomes a ritual instead of something practical.

“Dhamma in English, Jun 14, 2015.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube: 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495

The Heightened Mind

The Heightened Mind

If you’re really intent on practicing the Dhamma, then no matter what, you’ll have to get results—large or small—depending on the strength of what you can do. If you’re going to meditate, be intent on meditating. If you’re going to listen to the Dhamma, be intent on listening. If you’re going to speak, be intent on speaking. Whatever you do, be intent on what you’re doing. That way you’ll get the results you want from your actions.

To get results, your intent has to be composed of the four bases for success. In other words,

(1) chanda: Like what you’re doing. If you’re going to meditate, be content to stay mindful of the breath.

(2) Viriya: Be persistent and don’t get discouraged. Even though there may be pains in the body, you endure them.

(3) Citta: Give your full mind to what you’re doing. Don’t just play around. Don’t let your mind wander off to think of other things.

(4) Vimansā: When you really do the meditation, you contemplate to see what gives rise to a sense of peace and ease in the body and mind.

***

From Intent in The Heightened Mind: Dhamma Talks of Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo, translated by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu.
https://www.dhammatalks.org/books/HeightenedMind/Contents.html

Photo from
https://m.facebook.com/www.watasokaram.org/photos/a.1971213652981244/1971216986314244/

“Buddhism does not seek to convert people.”

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

“Buddhism does not seek to convert people.”

Question:  “What can you do with people who have delusion?”

Than Ajahn:  “If they cannot be taught, you must leave them alone. Buddhism does not seek to convert people. If they are willing to listen, then you can teach them. We consider things logically in Buddhism. 

We have to educate the mind in order to know what is right and what is wrong. We can then refrain from doing bad deeds and do only good ones.

We have to exercise restraints when it comes to acquiring things. This is because we usually acquire more than we actually need. Greed that comes from delusion and ignorance begets hatred— you get angry when you don’t get what you want. If you have experienced the mental calm, you will be content. You will not want anything other than the four requisites of life: food, clothing, shelter, and medicine.

The body gets old, gets sick, and dies, but the mind doesn’t. The mind is eternal and does not dissolve like the body. The mind goes from one existence to another because of the desire for a new body. Past actions (kamma) will decide what kind of body you will have in the next life.

The mind can exist by itself without having a body. We all have a body because we still have sensual desires. We need the body to experience the five sensual objects: sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and tactile objects. If we practise meditation, we can eliminate these desires; there will then be no need for a body. 

Therefore, there will be no rebirth. To do this successfully, we have to live like a monk—a life without sensual pleasures.”

“Essential Teachings”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
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“After you are aware of the rising and falling of the aggregates, the objective is then to be aware of the aggregate that you are attached to.”

“After you are aware of the rising and falling of the aggregates, the objective is then to be aware of the aggregate that you are attached to.”

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Question: There is constant awareness of the arising and ceasing of aggregates even when I am not in samādhi. What do I do next?

Tan Ajahn: After you are aware of the rising and falling of the aggregates, the objective is then to be aware of the aggregate that you are attached to, such as your body. Are you aware that your body is also arising and ceasing? Your body is constantly evolving, changing. And the eventual final destination of the body is death. This is something that you want to be aware of so that you can tell your mind to let go, not to cling to the arising and cessation of the body. Because if you cannot let go, when the body has to cease, the mind will be stressed.

You have to be aware of the object that is your concern. You don’t want to be aware of the object that is not your concern. And the object that is your concern is the object that you consider to belong to you. When you believe that something belongs to you, you will have the tendency to want it to be with you all the time, you don’t want it to separate from you.

When you have this desire, you are creating stress for your mind. This desire is what we want to eliminate by being aware that these things will eventually cease. Knowing that they will eventually leave you or you will eventually leave them, the mind stops clinging to them. And then when they leave you, you will not feel any stress.

“Dhamma for the Asking, Dec 2, 2014”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
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“Walking meditation”

“Walking meditation”

Question:  “Would you explain the proper method of walking meditation?”

Than Ajahn:  “It’s the same like sitting meditation, but instead of focusing on your breath, you focus on your walking or on your steps, on your feet. When you move your left foot, you say, ‘left,’ when you move your right foot, you say, ‘right.’ Left, right, left, right. That’s to stop you from thinking about other things. Do this until you feel tired, then you come back and sit again. You cannot get full absorption from walking. You need to walk in order to alleviate your physical pain after sitting for a long time. After you sit for a long time, you feel painful, then you get up to relieve the pain. After you walk until you feel tired, then you go back and sit again. The important thing is to be mindful when you walk, and to be mindful when you sit. When you sit, be mindful of your breath. When you walk, be mindful of your feet, of your walking.”

“Q&A, Jul 26, 2017”
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Monk:  “We have two teachers who gave us meditation instructions. One of them told us that when we do walking meditation, we don’t have to bother about the feeling touching the floor or even noticing left foot or right foot, instead we just concentrating on the mantra ‘Buddho’. The other teacher said that we should be aware of the foot touching the floor, we should be aware of which foot is moving. Some of my fellow monks are confused with regards to these two methods, could we ask some clarity about these two points from Luangphor?”

Than Ajahn:  “Actually both methods are okay. It depends on individual preferences, that’s all. You can use ‘Buddho’ while you walk. The goal is the same, which is to prevent the mind from thinking aimlessly. When the mind has to recite ‘Buddho’ or when it has to watch the feet walking, then it cannot think aimlessly. That’s the whole purpose – to stop the mind from thinking aimlessly. So whichever method you want to use, it is okay. You can even use body contemplation, then you are developing both mindfulness and wisdom at the same time. In practice, there are many different methods. We have 40 kammaṭṭhāna, 40 ways of developing mindfulness and samādhi. So it is up to you to use whichever way you like, whichever way that will produce the result you want to have.”

“Singapore via skype to 57 newly ordained monks, Aug 09, 2015”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

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“We contemplate continuously until we see that the body is just another doll that we have possessed and taken as ours temporarily.”

- - -

Question: What about walking meditation?

Ajahn: Walking meditation has two purposes. Walking for the sake of cultivating mindfulness and walking for the sake of developing wisdom. Which purpose we choose depends on whether or not we have concentration.

If we are not yet able to attain concentration, then we should cultivate mindfulness in order to do so. If this is the case, then as we walk, we shouldn’t allow the mind to think in terms of wisdom, but only allow it to think Buddho, Buddho, or to closely watch the movements of the body, such as observing the feet, noting whether the left or right foot is hitting the ground. We do this to prevent the mind from thinking about this or that issue.

- - -

Question: Should this be done alternately with sitting meditation?

Ajahn: After you walk for some time and you start to ache, you have to sit, don't you? If you are stiff from sitting, get up and walk. The purpose of meditation is to restrain and control your thoughts in order to make the mind peaceful, at least on the level of entering concentration. Once we have attained concentration and come out of it, we might be sore and stiff from sitting for a long time so we can then again do walking meditation.

But this time instead of observing the movements of the body, watching the left or right foot, or repeating Buddho, Buddho, we can contemplate the body. We contemplate the 32 parts of the body, its loathsomeness, its nature to be born, age, sicken, and die, how it is composed of earth, water, wind, and fire.

We contemplate continuously until we see that the body is just another doll that we have possessed and taken as ours temporarily. It is just like a cell phone. We have to look at it in this way until we can really see it, until we can let it go, until we are no longer bothered or fear old age, pain, or death. No matter where we are, no matter how alone, we’ll be able to stay. We will feel no fear.

“Mountain Dhamma, Apr 6, 2013”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

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“If your mind is constantly thinking about the Dhamma, you are very close to the Buddha.”

“If your mind is constantly thinking about the Dhamma, you are very close to the Buddha.”

⋆ ⋆ ⋆

(Lay devotees are inviting Than Ajahn to visit Singapore).

Than Ajahn: You are used to physical contact, so when you cannot get this physical contact, you feel that you are far apart. You should look at the essence of our contacts. It is Dhamma that we are concerned with. The Buddha said even if you sit next to him, but if your mind never thinks of Dhamma, you are still so far away from him. However, if you are very far away from him, but your mind always thinks of Dhamma, you are close to him.

So whether one is close or far is not determined by the physical distance but your thoughts towards the Dhamma. If your mind is constantly thinking about the Dhamma, then you are very close to the Buddha. At any time you are not thinking of the Dhamma, you are very far away from the Buddha.

Lay devotee: How do we go about with the Dhamma practice?

Than Ajahn: The study and the practice. First you have to study to know the proper way of practice. Once you know the proper way then you can practise correctly. If you practise correctly, then you will achieve the result very easily. This is the three step structure of Buddhism. First you study; second, you practise; and third you achieve the result (attainment).

Lay devotee: The toughest is number three.

Than Ajahn: The toughest is number one and two, because the third one comes after one and two. The hardest is probably the second, but the second needs the first to provide the right direction.

If you want to travel to a new place, you must first study the map. Once you know the direction, then you can take off and travel to the destination you have in mind and you will get there without losing any time. You won’t be lost because you know exactly where to go, how to go. If you don’t study first, you might not get to where you want to go because you might go in the opposite direction.

“Dhamma in English, Jun 14, 2015.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
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“Sati is the cause and samādhi is the result.”

“Sati is the cause and samādhi is the result.”

Question (from Norway):  “Could you describe the relationship between sati and samādhi?”

Than Ajahn:  “Sati is the cause and samādhi is the result. You have to have sati in order to have samādhi. Sati is focusing your mind on one object, like a mantra, Buddho, Buddho. This is developing sati. When you have sati, when your body sits still and you concentrate on your mantra, your mind will drop into calm and become still. When the mind becomes calm and still, it’s called, ‘samādhi.’ It doesn’t think.  It merely knows and it’s very happy. This is samādhi.”

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Question (from India):  “Sotāpanna-magga and Sotāpanna-phala are they different?”

Than Ajahn:  “They go hand in hand. It’s like when you want to go to the first floor, what do you have to do? You have to walk up the stairs before you can reach the first floor. Walking up the stairs is ‘magga’, the path to the first floor. Once you get to the end of the stairs, you get to the first floor, then you get ‘phala.’ So, they are the ‘cause and result’. The path, ‘magga’, is the cause to get to the result, and the result is ‘phala.’”

-Q&A, Aug 9, 2017
-Q&A, Oct 9, 2017

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

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The Buddha and his Noble Path By Venerable Nanissara

The Buddha and his Noble Path
By Venerable Nanissara

The most important discourse ever given by the Buddha on mental development or mental culture (meditation), is called 'The Setting up of Mindfulness' (Satipatthana Sutta). The ways of insight meditation are given in this discourse. The discourse is divided into four main sections. The first section deals with our body (kaya); the second with our feeling or sensations (vedana); the third with the mind (citta), and the fourth with various moral and intellectual subjects (dhamma). It should be clearly borne in mind that whatever the form of 'meditation' may be, the essential thing is mindfulness, meaning awareness, attention and observation.

One of the most well known, popular and practical examples of meditation connected with the body is called the mindfulness or awareness of in and out breathing. For this meditation only, a particular and definite posture is prescribed in the text. For other forms of meditation given in this course you may sit, stand, walk or lie down, as you like. But for cultivating mindfulness of in and out breathing, one should sit according to the text-'cross-legged position, keeping the body erect and mind alert'. Place the right hand over the left hand. Eyes must be closed. Easterners generally sit cross-legged with body erect. They sit placing the right foot on the left thigh and the left foot on the right thigh. This is the full lotus position. Sometimes they sit in the half position, that is, by simply placing the right foot on the left thigh or left foot on the right thigh. When the triangle position is assumed, the whole body is well balanced. But sitting cross-legged is not practical and easy for westerners. Those who find the cross-legged posture too difficult may sit comfortably in a chair or any other support sufficiently high enough to rest the legs on the floor or ground.

Assume any posture that is comfortably to you, keeping the back reasonably straight.

Your hands should be placed comfortably on your lap, and the right hand must be on the left. You must close your eyes. Keep the body still and steady, relaxed and easy, without being stiff, strained, cramped, shackled or bent over. 

Thus, seated in a convenient posture, at a quiet place, you should establish mindfulness. You should pay attention to the meditation object being mindful and alert, fixing the awareness on the tip of your nose. Breath in and out as usual without any effort or strain. Do not control or force the breath in any way, merely stay attentive to the coming of breath-in and the going of breath-out; let your mind be aware and vigilant of your breathing in and out. When you breathe you sometimes take deep breaths, sometimes not. This does not matter at all. Breathe normally and naturally. The only thing is that when you take deep breaths you should be aware whether they are long or short, in or out. In other words, your mind should be so fully concentrated on your breathing-that you are aware of its natural movements and changes. The important thing is not to move very often. Forget other things-your surroundings, your environment. Do not open your eyes and look at anything. It is very important to be patient.

Patience means staying in a state of balance, regardless of what is happening in the body. Stay easy, relaxed and alert. If we have a patient mind, all things will unfold in a natural and organic way. Being patient through all these experiences will help us to keep the mind in balance. Another thing for deepening meditation is silence. Much of the energy that is conserved by not talking can be used for the development of awareness and mindfulness. As with the meditation practice itself, silence, too, should be easy and relaxed. By keeping silent, the whole range of mental and physical activity will become extremely clear. Verbal silence makes possible a deeper silence of mind. Try to cultivate a sense of aloneness. To do this, it is helpful to suspend preconceptions about yourselves, about relationships, about other people. At the time of meditation, take time to experience yourself deeply. When we understand ourselves, then relationships become easy and meaningful. Concentrated efforts during the meditation on the development of moment-to-moment mindfulness will be directed towards one goal; the mind will become powerful and penetrating. During the meditation become very mindful of and notice carefully all your movements. The meditation deepens through the continuity of awareness.

When you are seated in a suitable place and in a suitable posture, you should establish mindfulness. You must pay attention to the meditation object, being mindful and alert, fixing the mind on breathing in and out. The in-breath and out-breath a group or a heap or a collection of physical phenomena. When you contemplate or observe or investigate in the body with mindfulness and knowledge, you can experience four material qualities. They are the elements of extension (earth); cohesion (water); heat (fire) and motion (air). When you stand up, your feet are touching the ground or floor. 

When you sit, the lower parts of your body are touching the carpet or floor. When you sleep, some parts of your body are touching the bed. There are many touchable parts on your body. Whenever you touch any part of your body with anything, you can experience the four qualities of elements.

Sometimes the touch will be soft or hard-this is the element of extension. Sometimes you will touch fluid with your body-this is the element of cohesion.

Sometimes you will touch something hot or cold with your body-this is the element of heat. Sometimes you will touch air, wind or inflation of matter with your body-this is the element of motion (air). The material elements of our bodies are called 'great' because of their distributive power and constructive power. Our bodies are constituted of these four great primary elements. The earth, the sun, the moon, the planets and the stars are the same. It is these very elements, experienced in our body.

The power of these elements is enormous. For a short period of time, the elements are in some kind of balance. Not realising the tremendous destructive power inherent in them, when they begin to get out of balance, they cause decay, the dissolution of the body, great pain and death.

There is also pain of the mind-depression, despair, anxiety, worry, anger, hatred, fear, lust, greed, desire, grief, sorrow, dissatisfaction, jealousy, separation from beloved ones, association with hated persons, etc, that cause suffering in the mind-body or mental-body.

How long will we remain ensnared in this cycle of rebirth and death, the suffering of this endless hurrying on, driven by ignorance and craving? Every morning we have to wake up and go day and night, looking for sense-objects. We are subject to colours, sounds, smell, tastes, touches, thoughts and sensations in endless repetition. 

You go throughout the day, you sleep at night and you wake up to be exposed to the same sense-objects, sensations and thoughts, over and over again.

Therefore, we have to give full attention, full-mindedness to the mental-body. We must observe the flow of sensation, feelings, thinking, knowing, etc. Whatever appears and disappears from moment to moment in the mental-body or material-body, you must examine the real thing carefully; observe with mindfulness; investigate with knowledge. When you do so constantly, the three characteristics of material-body and mental-body will become evident in your knowledge, that is to say you will see or know the three signs of mind and matter. 

They are always changing, not everlasting, and they are impermanent, suffering and egoless (soulless). After distinguishing these as materiality and mentality, you should contemplate these three characteristics to develop successive knowledge of insight until enlightenment is attained and absolute truth-nibbana is realized.

This is insight meditation which leads to insight wisdom, purification, higher supramundane wisdom, final liberation, real happiness, ultimate peace, cessation of suffering, absolute truth-nibbana.

Concentration meditation is the mental state of one-pointedness. It leads to mystic power and supernatural power. Insight meditation is the knowledge of wisdom, which penetrates the three characteristics of mind and matter. It leads to the highest wisdom, enlightenment, noble truth, absolute truth-nibbana.

In conclusion, the great benefit of mindfulness on breathing in and out should be understood as the basic condition for the perfection of clear vision, final liberation and purification of the mind. For this had been said by the Buddha, 'Bhikkhus, mindfulness of breathing, when developed and much practised, perfects the four foundations of mindfulness. The four foundations of mindfulness when developed and much practised, perfect the seven enlightenment factors, and the seven enlightenment factors when developed and much practised lead to clear vision and liberation'.

So, I wish fervently as follows-may all you brothers and sisters, who are willing to enjoy cessation of suffering, pain, sorrow and lamentation try and practise the foundation of mindfulness that gives real happiness, peace and cessation of all forms of suffering.

-By Venerable Nanissara, Myanmar

Sitagu Vihara, Sagaing Hills, Sagaing, Myanmar
{SD}

Source:
https://www.vridhamma.org/research/The-Buddha-and-His-Noble-Path