Why does the mind need to seek inspiration from outside the mind most of the time? When will it start relying on its own goodness?

Question: Why does the mind need to seek inspiration from outside the mind most of the time? When will it start relying on its own goodness?

Than Ajahn:  That’s because we don’t have enough goodness in ourselves yet. We don’t have happiness and contentment in ourselves. So, we need to seek inspiration from those who have the happiness and contentment, like the Buddha and his noble disciples.

We will be able to rely on our own goodness when we’ve attained to the level of a Sotāpanna, or at least to the level of jhāna (samādhi). If you become a Sotāpanna, you definitely will no longer need to rely on other people. You don’t even need to rely on the Buddha or his noble disciples because you know the way to practice properly. You have achieved part of the results, so you are fully confident that you can practice it on your own.

However, it would be good if you have a teacher to guide you because there are problems ahead that you might not anticipate or know how to deal with them. If you have a teacher, you can seek for his/her advice. But if you don’t have any teacher, you will also be able to eventually overcome the problems yourself because you know the method to deal with them. You know where the problems start. The problems all start from your cravings. So, you have to get rid of your cravings and then your problems will be solved.

So, you have to keep practicing. The more you practice, the more you will be able to rely on yourself. The Buddha said, ‘Attā hi attano nātho’ – You are your own refuge. You have to build this ‘attā hi attno nātho’ by keep practicing the triple practices: sīla, samādhi and paññā. Eventually, you will know how to take care of yourself once you see ‘the light of Dhamma,’ when you see the four noble truths appearing in your mind.

Dhamma in English, Aug 25, 2020.

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Question:  Will there be a chance that a Sotāpanna might not encounter Dhamma or the real teachings for his remaining rebirths?

Than Ajahn:  A Sotāpanna already has the Dhamma inside his heart. He has seen the noble truths already. A Sotāpanna knows that his mental suffering arises from his own craving, so his goal is to get rid of his craving. He doesn’t need anybody to teach him. He can progress by himself although it might be slower if he doesn’t have a teacher to guide him. That’s the only difference.

If he has a teacher who has achieved a higher level of attainments, the teacher can guide him. But if he doesn’t have a teacher, he has the noble truths as a standard for him to practise. If he doesn’t have a teacher, he might be slower because he might not know exactly how to get rid of his craving. He might have to go through many trials and errors which will take a longer time. But he knows his goal is to get rid of his craving. He knows that craving is the one that makes him feel sad or unhappy. Then, he will search for the way to the cessation of his craving. For example, when he is sad or unhappy, he will ask himself, “What am I craving for? What do I desire for?” And once he finds the answer, he can find a way to stop that craving.

Dhamma in English, Jun 30, 2016.

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

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