“If you ordain, you must be willing to accept the consequences of your ordination: ‘If I should die as a monk, I am willing to die as a monk, and I’ll use death as a path to my enlightenment’.”

The teachings of Ajahn Suchart.

26 January 2024

“If you ordain, you must be willing to accept the consequences of your ordination: ‘If I should die as a monk, I am willing to die as a monk, and I’ll use death as a path to my enlightenment’.”

Question:  One of my obstacles was that I had epilepsy when I was younger. During the course of my meditation fifteen years ago, I was able to stop it and heal it through meditation and I have no symptoms ever since. 

But I have doubt whether I will have any problem, so when I ordain I will keep my pension. At least I can have it ready when I need it.

Than Ajahn:  That’s not a bad idea because you don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. Should something bad happen in the future, it will be better if you have something to fall back on. You just try to practise at your current status, like keeping the eight precepts, going to work although it won’t be as intensive as when you stop working. 

For some people, once they ordain, they cannot force themselves to practise, so it will not make much difference. 

So first you have to know if you can and want to practise more, then ordaining is a good option. 

If you don’t think that you can practice more than what you can do now, then ordaining doesn’t make any difference. 

Sometimes after you ordain, this obstacle makes you worry and it can be an impediment to your practice. 

If you ordain, you must be willing to accept the consequences of your ordination: ‘If I should die as a monk, I am willing to die as a monk, and I’ll use death as a path to my enlightenment.’ 

Because a lot of people became enlightened before they die. 

This is because they saw the truth. Right now we are just thinking about the truth, we are not facing the truth yet. But when you know you are actually going to die, then the mind see the attachment which arises from the desire. And you want to get rid of this stress by letting go of the body and be enlightened. Thus, you can become free from all stress that is caused by the death of the body.

~ Ajaan Suchart Abhijāto

By Ajaan Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

Youtube: Dhamma in English

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