Ninety nine percent of your thinking is delusional

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

24 October 2023

“Ninety nine percent of your thinking is delusional.”

Nun:  “Do you think it’s the subtle attachment that cause me to still feel this way (wanting to do something for my father who has passed away)?” 

Than Ajahn:  “It’s not subtle. It’s obvious. You showed it through your speech. You’re still attached to him.”

Nun:  “But I’ve separated from him for so many years.” 

Than Ajahn:  “You still think about him. By thinking about him, you’re still attached to him. It’s attachment when you think of him and you want to do something for him. If you think about him and you can just leave him alone, this is not attachment. You can think of him just as memory. If you have any desire to do something for him, it is considered as attachment.

You have to get rid of your desire because you cannot do anything about it anyway. He is not in the place where you can help him. Should he come in your dream and ask you for your help, then you can ask him, ‘What do you need? Do you need food?’ If he said yes, then you give dāna and you send the food to him through dāna. If he needs Dhamma, you teach him the Dhamma about how to get rid of suffering. You tell him to get rid of his desires, his cravings, and then he will have no suffering."

Nun:  “Ok.”

Than Ajahn:  “That’s why all the devas come and listen to Dhamma talks. That’s the only way they can get help from the Buddha. The Buddha gave Dhamma talks every night to the devas. That’s the only way the Buddha could help them – by teaching them Dhamma.

The Buddha could not send his magical power and make every deva happy or make the devas become enlightened. They have to become enlightened by studying and teaching their own minds to let go of their attachment and their cravings.

So, if you can let go, then your mind will be at peace with yourself and with his situation, knowing that there is nothing else you can do for him. Besides, he might be happy right now. He might be in the deva realm and enjoying himself. You don’t know. It’s just your imagination about his state of mind. It’s better not to have any imagination. If you don’t know, just leave it alone. Don’t think about it.

Your thinking is not the reality. Your thinking is delusional. Ninety nine percent of your thinking is delusional, avijjā paccayā saṅkhāra. If you have wisdom, there will be Dhammā paccayā saṅkhāra. 

Then, you’ll say, ‘Sabbe Dhammā anattā.’ You will leave everything alone.”


From "Dhamma in English to a nun from Germany, Jan 05, 2018."

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

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