“If you let the mind goes to separate locations then the mind will not be unified, and the mind will not come to a complete calm state.”

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

16 February 2024

“If you let the mind goes to separate locations then the mind will not be unified, and the mind will not come to a complete calm state.”

Question:  Ajahn Lee Dhammadharo mentioned that we should fix our concentration at the tip of our nose, and yet, also maintained a broad awareness of the breath feeling in our body. Does this mean that we should focus our attention on two objects, which are the breath at nose tip and the broad awareness of breath within body? 

Than Ajahn:  I think you should focus only on one thing, preferably at the tip of the nose. 

This is because you want to unify the mind to becoming one. If you let the mind goes to separate locations then the mind will not be unified, and the mind will not come to a complete calm state.  

In order for the mind to become totally concentrated, you don’t want to go away from the breath. All you want is to be with the breath all the time. If the mind comes and goes, it will not be concentrated into one. 

So you need to fix your mind only at one place, at the tip of the nose. Just watch the breath at the tip of the nose and don’t let the mind goes somewhere else. 

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Question:  When I am meditating and concentrate on my breathing in and breathing out, after a while I have to swallow and then I lost my concentration (because of the swallowing). Can Ajahn give advice? 

Than Ajahn:  Try not to worry about the saliva, forget about it and just concentrate on the breathing. If you feel that the saliva will overflow out of your mouth, just let it be. 

Don’t think about it because the more you think about it, the more saliva you will be creating. 

To overcome this is by ignoring the feeling of the overflowing saliva. Just keep concentrating on your meditation object and let the saliva alone and then it will not bother you and you will not lose your concentration. If you cannot go beyond this point then you will be stuck with your saliva. Just keep concentrating on your breathing, be aware that you are breathing in, you are breathing out and forget about the saliva. If you feel that the saliva is about to flow out of your mouth, just let it be, you can wipe it out later on. 

But it doesn’t really happen, you are just imagining it. Just keep on concentrating on your object of meditation.

It is the same thing with itch, don’t try to scratch it, leave it alone and eventually everything will disappear. 

It is the same thing with coughing too. Let the body does it naturally, if the body wants to cough let it cough by itself. You just have to concentrate on the breathing.

By Ajaan Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

Youtube: Dhamma in English

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

“When there’s nothing else left (in the mind), by inference, you know that ‘That’s the knower.’… Don’t look for it. You’ll never see the knower. Just look for emptiness.”

“When there’s nothing else left (in the mind), by inference, you know that ‘That’s the knower.’… Don’t look for it. You’ll never see the knower. Just look for emptiness.”

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Question:  When I am in pain, when I meditate, sometimes I can get some peace but my awareness is weak because the pain takes up a lot of my energy. What would be your advice for me to do?

Than Ajahn:  If you need more awareness, you have to use a mantra. Keep reciting your mantra in order to eliminate your thoughts. 

F:  I felt that it was very quiet but I can’t see the awareness. 

Than Ajahn:  You don’t need to see awareness. You’re now using awareness to see awareness which is something you don’t need to do. 

You need to use awareness to see emptiness. As long as your mind is empty, it is sufficient. Don’t worry about seeing the awareness. You don’t need to see the awareness. You see the emptiness. 

F:  When I move, I lost the stillness.

Than Ajahn:  Just try to maintain the stillness for as long as possible. 

If the mind doesn’t become still, you use mindfulness to make it still, either by reciting a mantra or watching your breath. Then, it will bring you back to emptiness again. 

So, don’t worry about the knower, the one who knows. You don’t have to look for it. Now, you are looking for your self. You can’t look for your self. You have to stop looking for it, then you’ll see it. 

Just use mindfulness. Mindfulness is very important. Just keep being mindfulness so that you’ll stop thinking. It then makes the mind empty. When the mind becomes empty, you’ll find peace, happiness and upekkha. Then, you’ll say, ‘There’s only one thing left.’ And by inference, you know that ‘That’s the knower’.  You don’t see the knower. 

You know that there is nothing else left. When there’s nothing else left (in the mind), then there’s only the knower that is left. Because you know that nothing is left. So, you know that ‘that is the knower’. You don’t actually see the knower. 

Don’t look for it. You’ll never see the knower. Just look for emptiness. Look at your mind whether it is empty or not empty. If it is not empty, you have to empty it by using mindfulness, by concentrating on your mantra or your breath. Then, your thought will stop. And emptiness will appear.

Dhamma in English, May 20, 2020. 

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

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

“I don’t understand how can the Four Noble Truths solve problems?”

Question from Singapore:  “I don’t understand how can the Four Noble Truths solve problems?”

Than Ajahn:  “The First Noble Truth is called dukkha (suffering) or problems. When we have problems, we have sufferings. We don’t feel good. This is the First Noble Truth: we have problems. 

Problem arises from your desire. This is the cause of your problem. For example, you want more money and when you don’t get more money, it becomes a problem. You spend more than you earn. So, the cause of your problem is wanting for more money and when you cannot get more money, it becomes a problem. 

If you want to get rid of this problem, then just get rid of your desire for wanting to get more money. Just accept whatever you can earn. Spend only on what you have. Don’t spend more than what you have. Then, you won’t have any problem. This is the Fourth Noble Truth which is the path to the cessation of the problem, to see that the problem is caused by your desire. If you cannot get what you desire for, then stop desiring. Take whatever you can get. Then, the problem disappears.” 

“Dhamma in English, Q&A session, Mar 28, 2018.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

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

“The benefits you get from practising mettā (loving-kindness)”

“The benefits you get from practising mettā (loving-kindness)”

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Question:  What are the advantages of mettā bhāvanā and how to do it?

Than Ajahn:  Mettā bhāvanā is just a form of meditation practice to calm your mind like ānāpānasati. Instead of using the breath as the object of meditation, you use mettā which is the feeling of friendliness towards other people. You create this feeling of friendliness inside your mind. This is a form of meditation. 

But practising mettā itself is actually a way to conduct ourselves towards other beings, especially towards human beings and animals. We have to do it when we are in contact with people or animals. We should be kind to them. Be nice to them. Be good to them. Don’t hurt them. This is the way of practicing mettā. It’s giving friendliness and goodwill towards other human beings or animals. 

Like if they are in need, you help them. If you have lots of things that you don’t need to keep, you share your possession with others or give them away. If you have too much money, you give it to other people who need them. This is a form of mettā practice which is different from mettā bhāvanā. 

Mettā bhāvanā is when you sit down, close your eyes and think of the good feelings that you create from doing charity work. This feeling can calm your mind and make your mind peaceful and happy. So, these are the two different ways of doing mettā: 

(i) mettā as a meditation practice; and 

(ii) mettā as a practice you do towards other human beings and animals. 

According to the Buddha, the benefits you get from practising mettā –like being charitable, being helpful and being kind towards others– are that you’ll be happy whether you are awake or asleep; When you go to sleep, you have good dreams, you won’t have bad dreams; You’ll have lots of friends because when you are a charitable person, people will like you; You won’t be killed by poison or weapons because no one hates you; You won’t be hurt by other people because you only do good things towards other people; You will have good complexion; When you meditate, your mind will become calm very easily; And when you die, your mind will go to a higher state of existence. So, these are some of the benefits that you can get by practicing mettā (loving-kindness).

Dhamma in English, Jul 11, 2018. 

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

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

Whatever defilements desire, such as craving for food or drinks, we will have to give in. We have to go on an offense by setting limits and a timetable regarding how much to eat or to drink.

Whatever defilements desire, such as craving for food or drinks, we will have to give in. We have to go on an offense by setting limits  and a timetable regarding how much to eat or to drink.

For example, if we limit our food intake to once a day, whatever we wish to eat, we will have to eat during that time. Whatever we wish to drink, we will only drink at that time. Beyond that time we will only drink water. 

This is how it has to be managed. 

Watching television is off limits. Sell the TV set. Remove anything that is connected with entertainment. 

Donate all entertainment gadgets. 

That is what we call being aggressive and going on the offensive. If we sit and wait, defilements will entice us to watch this and that, eat this and that. 

When this kind of craving occurs, we might not be able to win the fight. Without the props of the defilements, when the craving occurs but we do not have anything to chew or to watch, we will not have a problem.

Ajahn Suchart

Thai forest dharma- food for the heart.

Is reaching jhāna make someone becoming a sotāpanna?

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

25 November 2023

Question: Is reaching jhāna make someone becoming a sotāpanna?

Than Ajahn:  No, jhāna just makes the mind calm. It will support the practice of becoming a sotāpanna. A sotāpanna must let go of his desire for clinging to the body, the desires for not wanting to get old, get sick, and die. A sotāpanna understands that mental suffering arises from the cravings for not wanting to get old, to get sick, and to die. If you don’t want to suffer from ageing, sickness and death, then you must not have any desire for the body not to get old, get sick or die. You have to let the body go. Let the body get old, get sick or die. 

If you have no jhāna, you won’t be able to let go even though you know that your suffering is caused by your attachment to your body. If you have jhāna, when you know that your suffering is caused by your attachment to your body, and if you don’t want to suffer anymore, then you just let the body go. You can do this with the support of jhāna.

“Dhamma in English, Feb 27, 2018.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

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

“The mind is not in the body in the first place. The mind is just attached to the body.”

“The mind is not in the body in the first place. The mind is just attached to the body.”

Question (M):  Every time after meditation, when I go to sleep, I’d either dreamt about my childhood, or I’d feel that my mind came out of my body where the mind is flying around. Is this normal?

Than Ajahn:  Yes, it’s normal because when you sleep you cannot control your mind. You have no mindfulness. Whatever the mind likes to do, it will automatically do it. If you like to think about your childhood, you will keep dreaming about your childhood.

Question (M):  How about when the mind comes out of the body and flying around?

Than Ajahn:  It’s because you don’t have any control over it. It’s not like when you are awake. When you’re awake, you can control your mind. But when you go to sleep, there is no controller. So, the mind can do anything it likes.

M:  I am aware of it when the mind came out of the body.

Than Ajahn:  The mind is not in the body in the first place. The mind is just attached to the body. The mind sends the stream of consciousness to the five sense organs. We call it, ‘viññāṇa’ in the 5 khandhas. The viññāṇa comes and attaches itself to the eyes, ears, nose, tongue and body. The mind is never in the body. When you sleep, the mind does whatever it wants to do because there is no one to control it.

Question (M):  Is this a kind of attachment because I have good feeling when it happens?

Than Ajahn:  If you like it, then it’s attachment. But if you don’t have any likes or dislikes towards it, then there is no attachment.

The way to let go of your attachment is to see it as aniccaṁ, dukkhaṁ, anattā. You see that you cannot control it. Even though you like it, sometimes it might not happen. And when you want to have that experience to happen, but it doesn’t happen, you become sad.

If you don’t want to be sad, try not to have any likes or dislikes towards it by seeing it as aniccaṁ, dukkhaṁ, anattā. It’s the same way like seeing the wind and the rain. You cannot control the wind and the rain. They can come and they can go. They will not hurt you if you don’t have any likes or dislikes towards them. Only when you have likes and dislikes, it can hurt you. It’s because if you like something and you cannot get it, you’ll feel bad. And when you get something you don’t like, you’ll also feel bad. So, try to teach your mind not to likes or dislikes anything. Take thing as it comes because everything is aniccaṁ, dukkhaṁ, anattā.

“Dhamma in English to laypeople from Singapore, Apr 24, 2018.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

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

“Don’t judge others whether they’re good or bad.”

“Don’t judge others whether they’re good or bad.”

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Question from Western Australia: I am a woman in my late 50s. My mind always justifies, judges, criticises, makes assumptions, condemns, approves, disapproves, likes, dislikes, etc. It does those constantly. For example, when I meet someone, my mind instantly tell me what I dislike about this person. So, why my mind always behave like my own enemy? Is this mind, myself? 

Than Ajahn: These are the habits you've been doing in your past lives.  So, it becomes your habits now. However, you can break these habits by using mindfulness. You have to stop it when you know that you are criticizing or judging others. Instead of criticizing or judging others, you should analyse things as they are. 

The Buddha has said that you analyse everything by seeing that everything you come into contact with is impermanent and it cannot be under your control all the time. This is the way you should behave towards things or people. If you want everything to be under your control or you want everything to be permanent, you will only be troubled by it because you can’t do it. 

Don’t judge others whether they’re good or bad. It’s okay to know if they are good or bad but it’s more important to know that they are impermanent. It’s more important to know that you can’t really do anything about them. You can’t change them or manage them. Sooner or later, they will be beyond your control. And if you try to control them, it will only make you unhappy.

Youtube: “Dhamma in English, Dec 18, 2018.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

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

“If you have more than what you need then it means that you are greedy.”

“If you have more than what you need then it means that you are greedy.”

Question ex:  How do we know as a human being, the difference between performing in life in moderation (working towards financial goal, promotion) and greed?

Than Ajahn:  The Buddha taught us that there is a better kind of comfort other than the physical comfort. You think that the more you have, the more comfortable you are, but in reality, the more you have the more uncomfortable you will be, mentally. There is stress involved when you have to seek for more and more. Once you have them, you will cling to them and this will create stress in the mind. So you might have the physical comfort but you are creating a lot of suffering in the mind.

The Buddha said that you should revert the process, instead of seeking physical comfort, you should seek for mental comfort. Mental comfort means that you just have the minimum physical comfort to maintain the body, to provide it only with the necessary requisites like food, shelter, clothing and medicine. You don’t have to have a lot of them, just have enough to keep the body going, then you don’t have the stress to seek for other things to make the body happy, you will have time to create the mental comfort. 

To create the mental comfort is to develop mindfulness through meditation and to develop wisdom by seeing that the mental comfort is in the mind not in the body. The physical comfort is temporary. No matter how much you have, one day you are going to lose them all, because one day, the body will die. At the same time when you seek for a lot of physical comfort you are creating a lot of mental stress, mental discomfort. Besides minimising the physical comfort you also need to enhance your mental comfort by practising meditation, by developing mindfulness and by developing wisdom. You can only do this if you have time and you can only have time if you reduce spending time in creating things to satisfy your physical comfort.

So try to provide your body comfort only at the minimum requirements then you will have more time to develop your mental comfort which is more important and more lasting, it is forever. The physical comfort is only good while you are living, when the body lives, whilst the mind lives forever. Once you have created comfort for the mind, it will stay with you forever.

…….

Question:  How do we know we are still in the right path and not go towards greediness that cannot be satisfied?

Than Ajahn:  If you have more than what you need then it means that you are greedy. You should only have enough for what you need, like clothing, if you have more than four or five sets of clothes you are having too many of them.

Youtube: “Dhamma in English”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

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

“You can become a Sotāpanna whether you put on make-up or you don’t put on make-up. It depends on whether you are attached to it or not.”

“You can become a Sotāpanna whether you put on make-up or you don’t put on make-up. It depends on whether you are attached to it or not.”

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Question: I am a working woman and I have to put on make up to look presentable. Is it true that I will not be able to attain the Sotāpanna level if I dress-up or put on make-up? Am I wrong putting on make-up for work?

Than Ajahn: No. You can become a Sotāpanna whether you put on make-up or you don’t put on make-up. It depends on whether you are attached to it or not. If you put on make-up because you have to go to work, then this is not a desire, it is not your defilement. But if you put on make-up because you want to look pretty or you want to look respectable, then this is defilement and you have to get rid of this defilement. 

For example, if it’s your job to perform a play on stage, then you have to put on some make-up and wear certain costumes. You don’t do it because you want to do it. You do it because it is your part in a play. It’s the same way with going to work. You might have to put on some make-up, otherwise your boss might ask you to go home.

Youtube: “Dhamma in English, Dec 18, 2018.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

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

“Meditation gives you contentment.”

“Meditation gives you contentment.”

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Question from Malaysia: Can meditation reduce desires including desire to eat or desire for other sensual pleasure?

Than Ajahn: Yes, meditation can reduce desire but it’s a temporary reduction. It’s not a permanent reduction. As soon as you stop meditating, the desire will come back strong. If you want to reduce your desire, then you should do a lot of meditation. The more meditation you do, the more contentment you have. 

Meditation gives you contentment. Your mind is not hungry for anything. So, you don’t have any desire to have anything. But when your mind is not content and not calm, your mind will have desire for things. Meditation is one way to decrease your desire. 

However, you cannot get rid of your desire with meditation. You need insight. You need the wisdom that the Buddha has taught us. You should teach the mind to see that having desires are actually bad for you because sooner or later, it will make you unhappy. Because the things that you desire for are not permanent. 

All things don’t remain the same all the time. Sooner or later, the things that make us happy will change. When they change, they could only make us unhappy. And we cannot control these changes. We cannot prevent them from changing. If we can see this, then we will not want to have any desire for anything.

Youtube: “Dhamma in English, Dec 18, 2018.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

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

“Your mind takes birth before the body dies.”

“Your mind takes birth before the body dies.”

Question (M):  "When a person dies, does he immediately take rebirth?"

Than Ajahn:  "If the person is going to be reborn as a human being, he/she has to wait for a new body. But you are automatically becoming the being you have developed in your life. If you are a deva (character), you’ll become a deva. If you are a brahma (character), you will become a brahma. If you are a Sotāpanna, you’ll be a Sotāpanna right away. Your mind takes birth before the body dies."

Male:  "So, do you mean that it is immediate?"

Than Ajahn:  "Yes, it’s already taken place right now. If you are a Sotāpanna, you’re a Sotāpanna. If you have an animal character, you are an animal now, even though your body is a human body. Your mind has already taken the character of an animal. It’s your character which is taking rebirth.

There are different types of characters when you die. You can become a hungry ghost. You can become a hellish being. If you’re constantly angry at people, or constantly hating people, then you’ll become a hellish being. If you’re continually greedy, you’ll become a hungry ghost. It’s your character that is being reborn. Your mind takes rebirth right away.

So, you might have a human body, but your mind can be an animal mind if you cannot keep the five precepts. That’s why sometimes they (the authority) have to put people who cannot keep the five precepts in the cells, because they are not human. They are animals. Even though the bodies are human bodies but their minds are not human mind anymore. They can hurt other people if you put them outside the cells. So, they have to be locked up. 

If you keep the five precepts, they won’t lock you up because you’re a human. The character of a human being is to be able to keep the five precepts. Keeping the five precepts will make you to become a human. If you can keep the five precepts and you can help other people, if you make other people happy, you become a deva."

“Dhamma in English to laypeople from Singapore, Apr 24, 2018.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

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

“The test comes when there is a crisis in your life.”

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

5 September 2024

“The test comes when there is a crisis in your life.”

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Question: I understand the Four Noble Truths, the noble eightfold path, but I am unable to apply them all the time. Is it for sure that I will not be able to move forward towards Sotāpanna level because I am not able to apply those all the time? 

Than Ajahn: Well, you have to apply them at the time when something happens to your body. If you can apply the Four Noble Truths at that time, then you can achieve enlightenment. You need something to happen to force your mind to see the Four Noble Truths, to apply the noble eightfold path. If nothing happens i.e. when your body is still strong, when the body isn’t sick, when the body isn’t threatened by death, there is nothing for you to use as a point to investigate the Four Noble Truths and to apply noble eightfold path. 

However, we have to learn to develop the noble eightfold path and the Four Noble Truths in preparation for the time when we have to use them. So, normally we will try to maintain the noble eightfold path as much as possible and maintain the knowledge of the Four Noble Truths as much as possible. The test comes when there is a crisis in your life. This is when you have to use the Four Noble Truths to eliminate your suffering that arises from the crisis.

Youtube: “Dhamma in English, Dec 18, 2018.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

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

“You can’t escape from getting sick or escape from death.”

“You can’t escape from getting sick or escape from death.”

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Question:  During this coronavirus period, anyone could get the virus anytime. How could a layperson mentally prepared for death?

Than Ajahn:  The best way is to accept that you’re probably going to get it. Once you accept it, then you don’t have to worry about it anymore. If you’re still betting on that you aren’t going to get it, then you will always worry whether you are going to get it or not. So, mentally you have to choose the right alternative. The right alternative to make your mind peaceful and calm is to accept it, ‘Ok, I’m going to get it; Ok, I might die.’ If you can accept this, then your mind will not be fighting against it. Your mind will be peaceful and calm. It prepares for the eventuality. 

But if you are still betting on not getting sick, then you will be constantly worrying. You always worry. You worry when you are near other people, whether these people have the virus or not. You worry when you touch something. You become worry all the time to the point that you can become crazy before you die. This is not worth it. It’s better to have a peaceful, calm and rational mind by accepting the reality. Because if you don’t get this virus, there are going to be some other things waiting for you around the corner. You can’t escape from getting sick or escape from death. 

So, this is basically training your mind to accept the reality. Training your mind to learn how to face reality. And the way to face this reality is to meditate to the point where your mind becomes neutral (equanimity). If you have equanimity, your mind will not react to anything. It merely acknowledges the reality. It will not suffer when you get sick or when you face death. So, it’s better to prepare your mind to face the eventuality than trying to figure out ways to avoid getting sick or death. Because it isn’t possible. In the end, you’re going to get sick and die. 

If you try to find ways to avoid getting sick and death, you’re going to suffer mentally, because your mind will always be stressful and worry. But if you take the other alternative, ‘Ok, I know, this is how things work – I’ll get sick and I’ll die, if it isn’t caused by this virus, it will be by something else like heart disease, diabetes, or hypertension,’ you can prepare the mind to accept the reality. 

There are so many other diseases waiting for us. No one can escape it. So it’s better to accept this reality. It’s better to prepare the mind to accept it. The way to do it is to keep ourselves calm and by not being reactive. Now we react to things. Usually, we react with cravings or desires which cause suffering in the mind. But if you can somehow tame the mind, train the mind not to react to anything but merely acknowledge the truth, then the mind will not be hurt. The mind will be peaceful and calm until the time when death comes. 

Dhamma in English, May 3, 2020.

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Question:  How do we practise during this pandemic situation?

Than Ajahn:  You just follow the health advice from the health experts. But as far as your mind is concerned, you should be prepared for it, ‘Should I get sick, let it be. If I couldn’t prevent it and if it’s going to happen to me, let it happen.’ Let’s not react to it. Accept it as it comes. If it should cost me my life, well, this is the time for me to die. Because we are all going to die one day, sooner or later. If you can have this attitude, your mind will be peaceful and calm. You won’t be unhappy with the situation. 

But if you cling to life, regardless of any situation that is happening, it will cost yourself misery. It’ll cost you suffering. So, you have to be realistic. Try to do your best to prevent the disease infecting you. If after you’ve tried your best, yet you still couldn’t prevent it from happening to you, and when it happens to you, you just say, ’This is the way it is.’ Then, you try to treat it as best as you can. If you succeed, it means you can overcome the sickness. But if you don’t succeed, you might say, ‘Goodbye!’ But you can be happy. You don’t have to be sad. You don’t have to worry or become anxious because it doesn’t help. Worrying or becoming anxious will only cause you to be unhappy.

“Dhamma in English, Jan 31, 2020.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

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

“The main purpose is to keep you occupied so you don’t think about other things.”

“The main purpose is to keep you occupied so you don’t think about other things.”

Question (M):  "During my meditation, I experienced two rising and two falling in the abdomen. One is fast and the other one is slow." 

Than Ajahn:  "That’s in your mind. There’s only one rising and one falling because you’ve only got one abdomen. It cannot be two rising and falling. It’s just your imagination. Ignore it.

Just know that it’s rising and it’s falling. The main purpose is to keep you occupied so you don’t think about other things. If you don’t think about your wife, your children, your money, and you only focus on your abdomen, it means you’re meditating. Your mind will eventually become calm and peaceful. Don’t worry about whether you have two rising or one rising. Just keep watching the rising and falling of the abdomen. Stop your mind from thinking about other things."

“Dhamma in English to laypeople from Singapore, Apr 24, 2018.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

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

How can I develop mindfulness?

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

25th July, 2022

Question (M):  How can I develop mindfulness?

Than Ajahn:  You have to practice mindfulness all the time, not just when you meditate. You have to practice mindfulness from the time you get up. As soon as you get up, you should start reciting the mantra or concentrate on what you do. Don’t let your mind go think about France, about the virus, or about anything. Just concentrate your mind to be in the present, to be empty. Don’t let it think. If you can do this from the time you wake up, you will have mindfulness to meditate later on. 

Question:  Does this apply also to my body such as my eyes i.e. what I see, what I hear using this body? 

Than Ajahn:  Yes, you can focus on what you do with the body. If you’re walking, just focus on your walking. If you’re brushing your teeth, just focus on brushing your teeth. Don’t let your mind go think about other things. Then, you will have strong mindfulness. When you meditate, you can become calm very quickly. You won’t feel any discomfort during your sitting. 

Layperson:  Ok, thank you.

“Dhamma in English, Mar 22, 2020.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube: 

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

Four great fortunes

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

29 January 2024

“Four great fortunes.”

- - -

“Let me start with the good news. It is good news for you all that you are all blessed with the four great fortunes. 

The first great fortune is being born as a human being because if you are born as an animal, you are not able to study the teachings of the Buddha. And you cannot practice the teachings of the Buddha. So you cannot be enlightened if you are an animal. But when you are a human being, like you are now, you can study and you can practice following the Dhamma teachings. So this is the first great fortune.

The second great fortune is to have discovered or found the Dhamma teachings. You need the Dhamma teachings to lead you to enlightenment. If there is no Dhamma teaching in this world, nobody will be able to become enlightened by themselves. Only the Buddha can teach himself to become enlightened. All other human beings have to rely on the Buddha’s teachings. 

All of the Buddha’s Noble Disciples and all the Arahants had to listen to the teachings of the Buddha and then practice by following the teachings. 

So this is the second great fortune, to have found or to have discovered the Dhamma teachings of the Buddha.

The third great fortune is to be alive, to be breathing. If you are not alive today, you cannot be there tonight. In order to become enlightened, you have to be alive so that you can listen or study the Dhamma teachings. 

And after you have learned the Dhamma teachings, you can apply the Dhamma teachings in your practice. So this is the third great fortune, being alive.

The fourth great fortune is to have the time and the effort to study and practice the Dhamma teachings, like you have tonight. You have the time and you make the effort to bring yourself to Wat Palelai so that you can listen to the Dhamma talk and meditate. If you don’t have the time or the effort to practice, even though you might be a human being, you might have found the teachings of the Buddha, and you are still alive, you are not be able to utilize your great fortune. So it is all up to you. You are the only person who can find the time and the effort to study and to practice the Dhamma teachings. If you do find the time and the effort to practice, the result of your practice will eventually appear because this is the way people have become enlightened from the time when the Buddha gave his first Dhamma discourse to the five ascetics. 

Listening to Dhamma talks is like studying. After the ascetics had listened, they applied it in their practice. 

They had already developed dāna (charity). They had already developed sīla, keeping precepts. They had developed samādhi, a calm and peaceful mind. So all they needed to do was to develop vipassanā.”

Dhamma in English, Nov 25, 2014. 

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube:

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

Stop going out to look for happiness. You have happiness right here within you.”

“Stop going out to look for happiness. You have happiness right here within you.”

Than Ajahn:  "Did you attend my talk when I had skype with you two or three years ago?"

Male: "Yes. He was a monk at that time." (referring to another visitor)

Than Ajahn:  "How come you quit? You cannot control your mind. Your mind wants to become a layperson."

Male: "Yes. It’s running around."

Than Ajahn:  "What does running around do for you? It’s doing nothing for you. It’s better to be still. But that’s the hardest thing to do. If you can be still, if you can overcome your desire to go here and there, you will find peace and happiness. And this kind of happiness is far better than any kinds of happiness that you can find on this earth. 

Stop going out to look for happiness. You have happiness right here within you. But you keep going away from this real happiness in you. You go look for the false kinds of happiness outside. The real happiness is right here waiting for you to discover. You can find it by developing mindfulness. If you have mindfulness, you can stop your thinking. When you can stop your thoughts, you can stop your desire to go here and there. 

If you keep thinking about Singapore, about Malaysia, about China, your desire will arise. Then, you want to go back to Singapore. You want to go to Malaysia. You want to go to China. But if you don’t think about it, if you only think about Buddho, Buddho, Buddho, there is no desire to go anywhere. Then, you can be here, be still and be happy without having to do anything. So, try to develop mindfulness. This is very important. This is the key to your success. 

The Buddha said that mindfulness is the main element of success. Without mindfulness, nothing can happen. If you have no mindfulness, you cannot have samādhi. If you have no samādhi, you cannot use wisdom to get rid of your desire. 

So, do what I told you to do.  Keep controlling your thoughts from the time you get up, either by using a mantra or by focusing on your body. Whatever you do with your body, keep watching your body. Don’t let your mind go elsewhere. Bring it here and now, in the present. The present is in the body or at the recitation of mantra. 

If you go to the past or to the future, you’ve already started thinking. You have to think to go to the past. When you asked yourself, ‘What happened yesterday?’ This is already a thought form. When you asked yourself, ‘What is going to happen tomorrow?’ This is another thought form. So, you have to stop. Stop going to the past or to the future by concentrating on the present moment, on your body or on a mantra. Then, your mind will become blank, empty, peaceful, and happy. It’s not heavy-hearted. 

Your mind becomes heavy-hearted because you think about something and you want to take some actions on it but you can’t. The inability to do something makes you feel heavy-hearted. But if you don’t think about it, your mind becomes light-hearted. So, stop thinking. Thinking is bad for you. Thinking is worse than smoking a cigarette because thinking is the one that causes you to go to smoke. Thinking causes you to get addicted to something. It all comes from your thoughts. So, if you can stop thinking, you can stop all your addictions, all your desire."

“Dhamma in English to laypeople from Singapore, Apr 24, 2018.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

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

“The real fear is not the fear of ghosts or fear of animals. The real fear is the fear of death.”

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart 

22 December 2023

“The real fear is not the fear of ghosts or fear of animals. The real fear is the fear of death.”

- - -

Question:  How could I overcome the fear in the mind?

Than Ajahn:  It depends on what you’re afraid of. If you are afraid of ghosts, you have to go look for the ghosts and find out whether there are ghosts or not. 

Layperson:  So, we go and see what we are afraid of and then we go and face the truth. 

Than Ajahn: Yes, face the truth. You ask yourself, ‘What are you really afraid of?’ You are afraid of ghosts or animals because you think that they’re going to attack you, right?

Layperson: Yes.

Than Ajahn:  So, actually, you’re more afraid of death than of anything else. You don’t want anything to happen that can cause you to die. 

The real fear is not the fear of ghosts or fear of animals. 

The real fear is the fear of death. So, you have to study the nature of your body to see whether you can avoid death or not. If you can’t avoid death, why should you be afraid of death? 

Everybody dies. If you’re willing to accept death, then you will not be afraid of anything. Ok?

Layperson: Thank you, Ajahn.

“Dhamma in English, Feb 22, 2020.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

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

Is there a moment in the Sotāpatti phala?

Question:  Is there a moment in the Sotāpatti phala?

Than Ajahn: You’ll experience the fruit of your practice when you have overcome your desire not to get old, get sick and die. You will know and you call that person: ‘the one who knows’.  Whether you want to call a name or anything, that person knows. We use the name for that person as ‘you.’ But actually it’s ‘the mind who knows’. 

So, the mind knows when he has got rid of his problem. There are four stages of problems. The first stage is the problem of a Sotāpanna.

The problem that a Sotāpanna can solve is the problem of the body — of the ageing, sickness, and death of the body. The next step is the problem of attachment to other people’s bodies. 

A Sakadāgāmī still has sexual desire towards other people’s bodies but when he starts to contemplate on asubha nature of the body, he starts to get rid of or eliminate his sexual desire. A Sakadāgāmī can get rid of the body attachment partially, not all. He knows that he has lessened his sexual desire because whenever his sexual desire arises, it will stop if he remembers asubha. But at times he forgets, so he cannot stop his sexual desire. He can go either way and the chances are the same. 

Sometimes he can and sometimes he can’t. 

But with an Anāgāmī, he can stop his sexual desire all the time. Every time sexual desire arises, he will think about asubha right away.

Dhamma in English, Apr 3, 2017. 

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

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

If a person can fulfil the 10 perfections, then he could become a Buddha.

“If a person can fulfil the 10 perfections, then he could become a Buddha.”

- - -

Question: What will happen after the 5000 years of Buddhism? 

Than Ajahn: Well, nobody will know about the Buddha’s teachings any more. No one will be able to take advantage from the Buddha’s teachings. People will have to wait for a new Buddha, for a new person to become enlightened, to explain what the Dhamma is. It’s like what the present Buddha had done for us. 

- - -

Question: If there is no more Buddhism, how would human kind penetrate the truth in liberation from suffering? 

Than Ajahn: Only a special human can do it. This special human is called a ‘Bodhisattā’ or ‘a future Buddha.’ He is the person who is gifted with all the 10 perfections. Then, he will become the next Buddha. 

- - -

Question: If the Buddha is compassionate, why does it take so long for another enlightened Buddha to be born? 

Than Ajahn: It has nothing to do with being compassionate or not. It’s a matter of whether a person can fulfil the 10 perfections. If a person can fulfil the 10 perfections, then he could become a Buddha. But it is very difficult to do this, and that’s why it takes so long for one Buddha to appear on this earth.

Youtube: “Dhamma in English, Dec 18, 2018.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

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

“You cannot manage your last thought moment. You cannot just click it like a switch”

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

7th August, 2022

“You cannot manage your last thought moment. You cannot just click it like a switch”

Question (M):  "What is the last thought moment before someone dies? Can the person be mindful?"

Than Ajahn:  "No, you misunderstand it. You cannot manage your last thought moment. You cannot just click it like a switch. Your last thought is the summation of all the kammas you’ve done from the time you were born to the present moment. The last thought will be automatic. You cannot click it to turn it on or turn it off. It’s because you cannot control your mind.

You can only control the mind by gradually training it. You teach the mind to think in a certain way. If you don’t teach it, the mind will automatically think the way it’s used to think. 

Your last moment of life is the summation of your good and bad kamma. The stronger kamma will then lead the mind. If your good kamma is stronger, it will be the one that leads the mind. If your bad kamma is the stronger one, then it will be the one to lead your mind.

So, this is why the Buddha said that we should stop doing bad kamma. Try to keep doing good kamma. Because at the end of our life, we are left with good kamma to lead our life if we stop doing bad kamma and keep doing good kamma.

The best of all good kamma is to be mindful. 

That’s why I told you to do it now. You cannot wait until your last moment to do it. You have to do it every day from the time you get up to the time you go to sleep. Keep stopping your thought. If you can do it, then at your last moment, you can stop your thoughts. If you cannot do it now, at your last moment you will not be able to stop your thoughts.

Most people misunderstand this. People want to take it easy. They think that they’ll just wait until their last moment. They think at the last moment, they can just tell the mind to be peaceful and calm. They can’t.

When you are sick, you cannot be peaceful and calm. When you know you’re going to die, you cannot be peaceful and calm. You have to learn how to be peaceful and calm now, before you die. Then, if you know how to do it, when you are going to die, you can be peaceful and calm."

“Dhamma in English to laypeople from Singapore, Apr 24, 2018.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

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

“When a person dies, the total sum of his kamma will be the one that decide what is going to happen to his spirit."

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

2 October 2024

“When a person dies, the total sum of his kamma will be the one that decide what is going to happen to his spirit."

- - -

Question: I understand that our last moment before death will affect our next rebirth. If a person during his life time has been practicing 5 precepts and has been helpful and generous, but during the last moment before he died, he lost his mind and kept scolding vulgarities, he will then have a bad rebirth. In this case, could you explain how the kamma is said to be fair? 

Than Ajahn: Well, you’re just fantasizing. You don’t know what actually happens to that person when he dies. It’s something that you think up. In reality, when a person dies, the total sum of his kamma will be the one that decide what is going to happen to his spirit. 

In your life, you do some good kamma and you do some bad kamma. It’s like having money. Some days, you go to the bank and deposit the money in the bank. 

Some days, you withdraw the money from the bank. At the end of the year, you check the bank balance whether you still have money in the bank or you owe the bank. 

This is the same way with what you do in your life. 

When you’re still alive, you do good kamma and you do bad kamma. When you die, the good and bad kamma will be totalled up. If the bad kamma is more than the good kamma, then the bad kamma will be the factor that will cause your spirit to be reborn as an unhappy spirit. If your good kamma is more than the bad kamma, then the good kamma will cause your spirit to become a happy spirit.

Youtube: “Dhamma in English, Dec 18, 2018.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

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

“Don’t resist the reality. Accept and embrace everything that comes into your life.”

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart. 

13th August, 2022

“Don’t resist the reality. Accept and embrace everything that comes into your life.”

Question:  Is it good for a layperson to get ordination, to be a monk or a nun, but he or she is married and/or has children already? (Indonesia)

Than Ajahn:  He has to make arrangement with his family and gets their agreement. He makes arrangement for the family to be able to live happily without him, then he can go and leave the family. If the family still have to depend on him, he will find it difficult to leave them. 

Should he leave the family for ordination, he will still worry about them. His family will also keep coming back to him and ask him to disrobe. We have an example here, where a Thai man who has a family, he ordained here and his family visited him every weekend. So after staying for two or three years he decided that he has to go back to his family. 

If you have a family, you have to make arrangement that your family will not be hurt by your ordination. When you ordain, you may also want to go to a place far away from your family so they don’t know where to contact you because if they can still contact you, they can still come and bother you asking for your help.

.......

Question:  I am a father and a husband, so I don’t think I will be able to stop worrying 100% about supporting my family in this life. 

Than Ajahn:  That’s why I said that you have to see the truth, the reality of life. No matter how good you treat your family, no matter how happy they are, eventually all will have to come to an end, like a movie. 

Life is like a movie and we know that the movie is gonna end. When you die, that’s the end of your movie. 

Everything has to come to an end. 

You can do your best for your family. It is not a problem. 

There is nothing to stop you from trying to do the best for your family and for yourself but don’t worry about it, you are not a superman. You always have to accept the reality, every moment of it, like today if the day goes well, you accept it, and if life doesn’t go well tomorrow, you accept it. Don’t fight the reality. 

Don’t resist the reality. 

Accept and embrace everything that comes into your life. 

By Ajaan Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

Youtube: Dhamma in English

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

What pāramīs are needed to be fulfilled before one can enter into Nibbāna?

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

6 July 2024

Question:  What pāramīs are needed to be fulfilled before one can enter into Nibbāna?

Than Ajahn:  All. Just like the mind and the body that are inter-connected and related. They are like parts of an automobile. We have to have all of them in order for the automobile to run effectively. They rely and depend on each other.

- - -

Question:  And do we need to develop such pāramīs to the extreme or does the level of pāramīs correspond to the stages of attainment?

Than Ajahn: I cannot say how much or what level of the 10 pāramīs (perfections of the heart) you need to have but you need to have enough to get rid of defilements. Just like taking medicine, I don’t know how much medicine you have to take. You just keep taking it according to prescription until your fever disappears. As long as your fever is still there, you keep on taking it. Eventually, your fever stops and that means you have enough medicine. 

It’s the same with building up the pāramīs. You should keep on building them until you eventually complete them. Similarly, the Buddha needed the last pāramīs to fulfill his dream (his wish) which is pañña pāramī (wisdom). That’s when he discovered the Four Noble Truths. But, before he could get to that point, he needed the support of upekkha pāramī (equanimity). 

In order to support nekkhamma pāramī (renunciation), sīla pāramī (moral conduct), and dāna pāramī (generosity), he needed the support of adhiṭṭhāna pāramī (resolution), viriya pāramī (effort), sacca pāramī (truthfulness), and khanti pāramī (patience). All these things support the final pāramī which is the pañña pāramīs.

Dhamma in English, Apr 4, 2017. 

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube: 

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

TRI-PITAKA (OR TIPITAKA)

WHAT BUDDHISTS BELIEVE

TRI-PITAKA (OR TIPITAKA) -  

This Pitaka consists of the five following books:

1.PARAJIKA PALI (Major Offences)

2.PACITTIYA PALI (Minor Offences) 

3.MAHAVAGGA PALI (Greater Section)

4.CULLAVAGGA PALI (Smaller Section)

5.PARIVARA PALI (Epitome of the Vinaya) 

Sutta Pitaka 

The SUTTA PITAKA consists chiefly of discourses delivered by the Buddha Himself on various occasions. There are also a few discourses delivered by some of His distinguished disciples, such as the Venerables Sariputta, Ananda, Moggallana, and famous female Venerables like Khema,Uttara, Visakha, etc., included in it. It is like a book of prescriptions,as the sermons embodied therein were expounded to suit the different occasions and the temperaments of various persons. There may be seemingly contradictory statements, but they should not be misconstrued as they were opportunely uttered by the Buddha to suit a particular purpose. Therefore morals, ethics, discipline, duties,responsibilities, obligations and humane qualities can be found in the sutta pitaka.

This Pitaka is divided into five Nikayas or collections, viz:

1.DIGHA NIKAYA (Collection of Long Discourses)

2.MAJJHIMA NIKAYA (Collection of Middle-length Discourses)

3.SAMYUTTA NIKAYA (Collection of Kindred Sayings)

4.ANGUTTARA NIKAYA (Collection of Discourses arranged inaccordance with number)

5.KHUDDAKA NIKAYA (Smaller Collection)

The fifth is subdivided into fifteen books:

1.KHUDDAKA PATHA (Shorter Texts)

2.DHAMMAPADA (The Way of Truth)

3.UDANA (Heartfelt sayings or Paeans of Joy)

4.ITIVUTTAKA (‘Thus said’ Discourses)

5.SUTTA NIPATA (Collected Discourses)

6.VIMANA VATTHU (Stories of Celestial Mansions)

7.PETA VATTHU (Stories of Petas)

8.THERAGATHA (Psalms of the Brethren)

9.THERIGATHA (Psalms of the Sisters)

10.JATAKA (Birth Stories)

11.NIDDESA (Expositions)

12.PATISAMBHIDA (Analytical Knowledge)

13.APADANA (Lives of Saints)

14.BUDDHAVAMSA (The History of Buddha)

15.Cariya Pitaka (Modes of Conduct) 

Abhidharma Pitaka 

The Abhidharma is, to a deep thinker, the most important and interesting collection, as it contains the profound philosophy and psychology of the Buddha’s teaching in contrast to the illuminating but conventional discourses in the SUTTA PITAKA 

In the SUTTA PITAKA one often finds references to individual, being, etc., but in the Abhidharma, instead of such conventional terms, we meet with ultimate terms, such as aggregates, mind, matter, etc.

In the Sutta is found the Vohara Desana (Conventional Teaching), whilst in the ABHIDHAMMA is found the Paramattha Desana (UltimateDoctrine). 

In the ABHIDHAMMA everything is analysed and explained in detail, and as such it is called analytical doctrine (Vibhajja Vada). Four ultimate, supramundane subjects (Paramattha) are enumerated in the ABHIDHAMMA. 

They are 

Citta, (Consciousness), 

Cetasika (Mentalconcomitants), Rupa (Matter) and Nibbana. 

The so-called being is microscopically analysed and its componentparts are minutely described. Finally the ultimate goal and the method to achieve it is explained with all necessary details.

The ABHIDHAMMA PITAKA is composed of the following works:

1.DHAMMA -SANGANI (Enumeration of Phenomena)

2.VIBHANGA (The Book of the Treatises)

3.KATHA VATTHU (Point of Controversy)

4.PUGGALA PANNATTI (Description of Individuals)

5.DHATU KATHA (Discussion with reference to Elements)

6.YAMAKA (The Book of Pairs)

7.PATTHANA (The Book of Relations) 

According to another classification, mentioned by the Buddha Himself, the whole Teaching is nine fold, namely—

1. Sutra, 

2. Geyya,

3. Yeyyakarama, 

4. Gatha, 

5. Udana, 

6. Itivuttaka, 

7. Jataka, 

8. Abbhutadhamma, 

9. Vedalla. 

1 Sutta— These are the short, medium, and long discourses expounded by the Buddha on various occasions, such as MANGALA SUTTA (Discourse on Blessings), 

RATANA SUTTA (The Jewel Discourse), 

METTA SUTTA (Discourse on Goodwill), etc. 

According to the Commentary the Vinaya is also included in this division.

2 .Geyya— These are discourses mixed with Gathas or verses, such as the SAGATHAVAGGA of the SAMYUTTA NIKAYA 

3.V EYYAKARANA — Lit. exposition. The whole ABHIDHAMMA PITAKA ,discourses without verses, and everything that is not includedin the remaining eight divisions belong to this class.

4.GATHA — These include verses found in the DHAMMAPADA (Way of Truth), THERAGATHA (Psalms of the Brethren), THERIGATHA (Psalms of the Sisters), and those isolated verses which are notclassed amongst theSutta. 

5. UDANA — These are the ‘Paeans of Joy’ found in the UDANA , one of the divisions of the KHUDDAKA NIKAYA 

. 

6. ITIVUTTAKA — These are the 112 discourses which commence with the phrase — ‘Thus the Blessed One has said’. ITIVUTTAKA is one of the fifteen books that comprise the KHUDDAKA NIKAYA . 

7. JATAKA — These are the 547 birth-stories related by the Buddha in connection with His previous births.

8. ABBHUTA DHAMMA — These are the few discourses that deal with wonderful and marvellous things, as for example the ACCHARIYA - ABBHUTA DHAMMA SUTTA of the MAJJHIMA NIKAYA (No. 123) 

9. VEDALLA — These are the pleasurable discourses, such as CHULLA VEDALLA , MAHA VEDALLA (M.N. Nos 43, 44), SAMMA DITTHI SUTTA (M.N. No. 9), etc. In some of these discourses, the answers given to certain questions were put with a feeling of joy.

If you conquer your defilement, you will have eternal peace, but if you conquer other people or other nations, you will have eternal war

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

16th August, 2022

“If you conquer your defilement, you will have eternal peace, but if you conquer other people or other nations, you will have eternal war.”

Question:  Can you improve your life by challenging the world? 

Than Ajahn:  No. You improve your life by challenging your defilements. You want to kill all your defilements: your greed, hate, delusion and your craving – these are your enemies. The world is not your enemy. You cannot challenge the world, you cannot fight aging, sickness and death. 

You can improve your mind to be able to fight your enemies – your defilement. Your weapons in fighting your enemies are mindfulness, samādhi and wisdom. 

If you can conquer your enemies – your defilement, you will have peace forever, but if you try to conquer the world or conquer other people, you will have more problems because the people whom you conquer will hate you and they will try to take revenge. The Buddha said that the things you should conquer is yourself, your defilement. If you conquer your defilement, you will have eternal peace, but if you conquer other people or other nations, you will have eternal war.  

…….

Question:  How to deal with envy and jealousy?

Than Ajahn:  Don’t compete with other people but compete with yourself, then there will be no envy and jealousy. Try to compete with yourself. What you have to compete with is your kilesa (defilements): your greed, hatred and delusion. 

Don’t compete with other people because some people may be better than you are and some other people are worse off than you are.  So when you want people to be like you but they happen to be smarter than you, you can become envious. 

If you have to compare with other people, then you should think that we all have different kamma, we did different kamma in the past and this makes some people are smarter than us, some people are less smart than us. We just have to accept the truth that people are not the same. If they are better than us, we should accept it because this is the truth.  

By Ajaan Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

Youtube: Dhamma in English

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

WHO IS AN ARAHANT ?" By Ven Balacitta

Dhamma Talk

 

 "WHO  IS  AN  ARAHANT ?"

By Ven Balacitta

When the sun shines at the lotus pond, not all of the lotuses will receive the sunshine. Some of the lotuses will have wilted away even before they reach the surface of the water; some break through and float gently just on the surface while others rise and bloom in all their glory a foot or so above the surface, enjoying the beautiful sunshine.

Actually, not all of us after hearing the Buddha's teaching can be able to practice or want to practice the teaching successfully until we reach full enlightenment or arahantship. Some of us are without hope at all, some are on the way to it and some need more then a life time, and only those who are very gifted can gain full enlightenment in a life time of practice. It is just like the various stages of growth of the lotuses.

There are 4 levels of enlightenment – Sotapanna [1st stage], 

Sakadagami [2nd stage], 

Anagami [3rd stage] and 

a fully Enlightened Arahant. 

The level of enlightenment one achieves is dependent on how well one has developed the Noble Eight Fold Path. All unenlightened beings have 10 fetters that hinder them from gaining enlightenment. When a person has eradicated all the 10 fetters, he is an Arahant. In brief, the ten fetters are:

1. identity view;

2. doubt (about the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha, and the training);

3. wrong grasp of rules and observances;

4. sensual lust;

5. ill will;

6. desire for existence in form realm;

7. desire for formless existence;

8. conceit;

9. restlessness; and

10. ignorance.

Sotapanna is known in English as stream-enterer and he had eradicated the first three fetters. A stream-enterer is so called, because he has entered into the stream that leads toward nibbana, that is, the stream of the Noble Eight Fold path. 

When a person reaches this stage, he will at most have seven more life times to go either into the human realm or heavenly realm before he experiences the highest bliss - Nibbana.

A Sakadagami is known in English as once-returner and he has eradicated the first three fetters and weakened lust, hatred, and delusion. He will only return to this world once, before he experiences Nibbaana.

An Anagami is known in English as a non-returner and he has eradicated the first five fetters. He will take rebirth in the brahma world and from there, when time is ripe, he will experience Nibbaana.

The highest and the best attainment is the stage of Arahant. It is attained when someone has fully developed the Noble Eight fold Path and thus eradicated all the 10 fetters. When a person gains this stage, he realizes and experiences the highest bliss - Nibbaana. It is to our great benefit if we have a chance to meet and serve an arahant.

There are nine things that can never be seen to be done by arahants. They will never do it, not even in secret. If we do see a self-claimed arahant doing such things, then we can declare openly, without any fear of creating any bad Kamma, that the so claimed arahant is a fake!

The nine things that arahants will not do are:

1. killing living beings intentionally;

2. taking what is not given with the intention to steal;

3. engaging in sexual activities;

4. telling a deliberate lie;

5. making use of accumulated enjoyments which he did in the past when he was a householder (for example,

food and money);

6. taking a wrong course of action on account of desire;

7. taking a wrong course of action on account of hatred;

8. taking a wrong course of action on account of delusion; and

9. taking a wrong course of action on account of fear.

~ (AN 9:7)

That’s all for this talk. If any of you happen to discover that someone is really an arahant, please inform me. I want to visit an arahant for it is good and a great blessing. Thank you and may you all be happy.

Note: Reference to most of the information above is obtainable from the book entitled, "In the Buddha's Words" by Bhikkhu Bodhi.

Sadhu ............ Sadhu ............... Sadhu