Then Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.
25 August 2024Question: What about thinking about the future?
Than Ajahn: If you want to think about the future, you have to think of the truth. The truth is death is waiting for you. When you think of death, then you stop thinking about the future.
Death is going to happen to everybody. And you have to study the nature of death. It’s not scary once you know what death is. You know who dies and who doesn’t die. The body will die but the mind doesn’t die with the body. You, who is the one speaking now, are not the body.
You use the body as a medium. You are the ‘one who knows.’ You are the ‘one who thinks.’ You are the mind. So, you don’t die with the body.
This is something you have to learn and get it straight into your head, that you are not the one who dies. The one who dies is your body. Once you get this, then you won’t have any fear of death. You won’t worry about the future. You focus in the present and try to do the best you can in the present. Because what you do now is what counts. If you do good actions right now, you’ll feel good. If you do bad actions right now, you’ll feel bad. So, keep watching what you do right now.
The Buddha said that if you want to think of the future, think of death. Everything that is being born is subjected to ageing, sickness and death. The body is subjected to ageing, sickness and death; and you can’t go beyond these ageing, sickness and death. But you are not the one who gets sick, gets old or dies – Just remember this. Look after your body the best you can.
Once it’s beyond your control, you just have to let it be.
Then, you’ll have no problem with yourself.
You won’t feel bad. You won’t feel sad. But in order to do this, you have to be able to calm your mind and keep your mind in the present. Keep it calm by developing mindfulness using a mantra, ‘Buddho, Buddho, Buddho.’ It’s to keep your mind from running to the future or to the past by thinking. You want to stop your mind from thinking. You want to control your thoughts.
Once you can control your thoughts, your mind can be calm and peaceful under any circumstances. Whatever happens will not bother you.
Dhamma in English, Sep 15, 2020.
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Question: I have difficulty deciding how much work I should do. I have a son and still have obligations. The mind has this habit about thinking about our future.
Than Ajaan: Just have enough for the basics, the four requisites of life: food, shelter, clothing, and medicine.
No vacations, no lotteries — just the basics. If you think about the future, then think about death. That is the ultimate future.
The Buddha said you should reflect on death all the time. This will dispel all your delusion. Everybody will die, so you don’t have to worry about them too much.
Just to be alive in the present is enough. Don’t worry about the future.
Question: Do we need to have any plans?
Than Ajaan: Not too many. Just have enough food to eat, and have a place to stay. Do not worry about education, status, or wealth, or anything like that. Just worry about the four requisites. That is all you have to worry about.
Question: For me, I have a lot of attachment.
Than Ajaan: Think of death. Think of death. Everybody will die. When you think of death, you can let go of your attachment. Just keep thinking that we are all going to die.
Question: But it is very difficult to let go.
Than Ajaan: Well, if you keep thinking about death, you will find it easier. But you have to do it a lot. Right now, death is not real to you yet. But if you keep thinking and thinking, and one day when you see someone dies, this thinking will come back to you, and it will become real to you. But you should try to think about it so when it happens, you do not become sad or go mad because you are prepared for the truth.
Dhamma in English, Aug 10, 2013.
By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
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