The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.
28th November, 2022
“Mindfulness is something that you must continually cultivate”
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Question: How do I get my mind to focus when it is full of thoughts?
Than Ajahn: It is due to a lack of mindfulness; you haven’t yet established your mindfulness. Mindfulness (sati) is what controls your thoughts—preventing it from thinking about other things. You should try reciting only the word, ‘Buddho’. It has to be done beforehand, prior to your sitting meditation.
Mindfulness is something that you must continually cultivate and keep up with from the moment you wake up to the time of your sitting meditation.
If you cultivate your mindfulness only after starting to sit in meditation, your mind won’t be able to quell all of the proliferations. You have to practise from the moment you awake. As soon as you’re awake, just start reciting ‘Buddho’ and then carry on doing your routine while reciting it. You may stop reciting it and focus on other things when they require your attention.
You should only think about necessary things. For instance, what is on today’s schedule or your to-do list?
Once you’ve figured it out, you may then get yourself ready. You should carry on reciting ‘Buddho’ even while getting ready. Just keep reciting it and don’t think about anything else. If you can manage that, your mind will easily calm down when you do your sitting meditation. You’ve already cut down your thoughts and there’s mindfulness in place to keep a hold on them. Once in sitting meditation, your mind will quickly calm down with the recitation.
It all comes down to mindfulness for those who cannot seem to get any result from their meditation practice.
You didn’t cultivate your mindfulness beforehand. You start meditating right away when it is time, just like a boxer who goes into a match without any practice. As soon as he gets into the ring, he gets knocked out in the very first round.
Without any training and practice with his partner, he ends up being knocked out himself, thinking that he can easily take down his opponent.
It is not unlike expecting your mind to be calm as soon as you sit down and start reciting ‘Buddho’. Your mind readily goes astray thinking about other things with no more than two words of ‘Buddho’. So it all comes down to your mindfulness. You have to be mindful at all times and as much as possible.
“Essential Teachings.”
By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
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