“If you can control your thoughts, when you meditate, you can control the mind and focus on one object such as the breath.”

“If you can control your thoughts, when you meditate, you can control the mind and focus on one object such as the breath.”

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Question: Can Than Ajahn tell us a way to meditate from the start to enlightenment?

Than Ajahn: The first thing before you can meditate is that you have to develop mindfulness. You have to be able to control your thoughts most of the time, from the time you wake up. When you wake up and open your eyes, you normally will start thinking, ‘What am I going to do today?’ Then, your thought keeps rolling on. You want to stop it by using a mantra or by asking your mind to watch your body, ‘Where am I? What is my body doing now? My body is lying down. My body is getting up. My body is sitting. My body is standing. My body is walking.’ Just keep your mind stays with your action. If it doesn’t want to stay with the body, then you have to use a mantra. When you start to think aimlessly, you should stop it by reciting Buddho, Buddho, Buddho.

You are allowed to think about things that you have to think about, like doing some planning for today, ‘What am I going to do today?’ You can think about that. Once you finish with your planning, then you should stop thinking. When you prepare yourself to get ready to do the things you have to do, you shouldn’t be thinking. You should focus on what you’re doing. If you’re brushing your teeth, just keep watching brushing your teeth. If you’re taking a shower, just stay with the action. If it doesn’t want to stay with the action, you have to use a mantra, Buddho, Buddho to stop yourself from thinking about the future or the past. This is developing mindfulness, developing the ability to control your thoughts.

If you can control your thoughts, when you meditate, you can control the mind and focus on one object such as the breath. If you can keep focusing on your breath, eventually your mind will enter into jhāna, into calm. You will experience bliss and happiness. So, the most important thing is mindfulness.

You shouldn’t just start with your sitting meditation if you cannot control your thoughts because if you do so, when you sit, instead of focusing on your breath, you might be thinking about this and that, and you will never achieve any result from your sitting meditation.

Youtube: “Dhamma in English, Nov 9, 2018.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

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