The teachings of Ajahn Suchart Abhijato

The teachings of Ajahn Suchart Abhijato

13 July 2024

“The more and higher level of Dhamma you practise, the more content you’ll be.”

Nuns (bhikkhunı), even if they have attained enlightenment, have to pay respect to monks (bhikkhu) including very junior ones, but not to novices (sāmaṇera). They only have to pay respect to monks and anyone above.

The higher level of Dhamma one has attained, the less self-conceit there should be. Self-conceit doesn’t increase with the level of Dhamma. Conceit has an inverse relation to the level of Dhamma achieved. 

Those who have become enlightened will not be against anything that the Buddha taught or told to perform or practise. A real practice is to lessen the sense of self. 

The higher level of Dhamma you practise, the less sense of self-conceit and self-importance you’ll have, to the extent that they are completely gone.

This very self-conceit is the cause of discontent and suffering (dukkha). When somebody doesn’t act according to your liking, you’ll get unhappy— just as when you’re a boss but being treated as a janitor. 

But if you don’t react, and instead think that it’s their issue. It’s their own shortcoming to see you that way—not being wise enough or able to notice the difference—and there’s nothing you can do. It doesn’t even matter if they see you as a servant, because it is their opinion, their perception. But you know in your heart what and who you are.

Whatever and whoever you are doesn’t mean that others will also have to notice and agree with it. 

However they see you, you’ll still be who you are. The more and higher level of Dhamma you practise, the more content you’ll be. You won’t long for others to treat you in certain ways. When you reach the highest level of Dhamma, there won’t be any craving and desire for anything at all.

I heard that Mae-chee Kaew had such a high level of Dhamma, but she would pay respect to any monks who visited her, no matter how junior they might be. She would pay respect to them due to the worldly conventions—lay people have to pay respect to monks. 

You have to be alert and able to discern that there is supposed reality (sammutti) and transcendental truth (vimutti) in this world, i.e., transcendence vs. conventions.

Luangta Mahā Boowa once wrote in the biography of Luangpu Mun about his answer to a heavenly-being’s question concerning sitting arrangement when monks, including those enlightened ones, meet. 

How do they sit? There were two ways according to Luangpu Mun’s answer.

In a transcendental sense, no one is superior nor inferior to one another. Whoever comes first, just sits in the front. They can sit wherever they want. In a conventional sense, they will have to sit in the order of their number of years in robes (vassa). Even if they’re enlightened, they can’t sit in front of an unenlightened but more senior monk. So it is the same with going on alms round. The more senior but unenlightened monks will be ahead of and lead those more junior but enlightened ones. It is not a concern as the enlightened monks will be able to discern and understand the difference between conventions and transcendence.

It is all a matter of your heart and mind. Nobody might know who or what you are. No matter how many years you have been ordained, you still have to act according to the conventions. It is the same in the case of any child and their parents. Some children are higher than their parents in terms of merit and mind level, but they don’t hold on to the idea that they are wiser or better. 

They still pay respect to their parents and anyone more senior, even with their superior knowledge and abilities, which are a different matter.

People these days tend to be self-conceited. When they gain prestige, they suddenly see little significance in their parents—all because of their delusion. 

But those with wisdom, such as His Majesty the King, when he was with his mother in private, he would still pay respect to her as his mother. But when he was in public, being on his throne, the King’s Mother would have to sit below him. There are many levels of conventions. It is one thing in public and one thing at home or in private. You have to act appropriately, or in line, with the culture and traditions.

It is not a big deal; it is as if you’re acting. You might have to play a lead role in one and a villain in another; you just have to act according to the script. It is only acting. So as long as you don’t get attached to your role, there won’t be any problem. You can plan any role—a beggar, a servant, or a millionaire. It all depends on their request and decision as long as they pay you.

You’re basically an employee. So whatever they hire you to do, then just do it. This is what it means to be detached, but still aware of where you stand, in terms of ranking, and what is virtuous or not, in terms of action. 

When you are in a situation and have to follow certain procedures, then just do it. Don’t think that you are more special than others and need to be treated differently. If they don’t know who you are, how can they treat you properly? Some people mistreat you out of their own ignorance, but they apologise to you once they’ve found out.

There’s no need for you to hold grudges at all, bearing in mind that it’s just how it is with worldly matters. 

Praise and gossip are everywhere, so you have to be ready to accept and live with anything—be it contempt or praise, welcome or indifference. You can even be left to take care of everything yourself. If you don’t expect anything from anyone, then there is no problem.

By Ajaan Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

Youtube: Dhamma in English
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g