The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart

Question:  I would like to thank all the teachings you give us so that people from the other parts of the world have the chance to learn the Dhamma. My question is: right now there are 7 billion people in this world, why are there so many incarnation at this time on earth?

Than Ajahn:  Because there are many minds that take birth as humans. There are a lot of minds that are still waiting to take birth but they cannot, because there are no body producing babies, so sometimes these minds have to take birth as animals. All animals also have minds like humans; they cannot afford to be human yet because they have bad kamma that they have to pay, hence, they have to be born as animals.

And there are also minds that do not have physical bodies—the spiritual beings. So, 7 billion humans are still a very small number as compared to the number of minds that exist in this universe. There are countless number of minds in the universe. But this is not an important question. The important question is how we solve our problems.

Our problem is we’re never satisfied, we never have contentment: this is what we have to solve. We can feel satisfied if we know how to do it. And the only person who knew how to do it was the Buddha; and he was kind enough to teach us how to solve it. So, if we want to learn how to be happy and be contented, we have to study his teachings and apply his teachings in our lives, in whatever we do, in our actions. If we can do that, we will be able to find contentment, peace and happiness. Then, we will not have to take any more rebirth.

But there are only a very few number of minds that can achieve this goal as compared to the number of minds that exist in this entire world. There are very few minds that can achieve this status of being a pure one: the one who has no defilement, the one who doesn’t need to take more rebirth. But you can be one of them if you trust the Buddha’s teachings and apply them in your practice.

Layperson:  And following your teachings.

Than Ajahn:  They are the same teachings. I studied from the Buddha because previously, nobody knew this teachings; it’s only the Buddha who discovered the truths and passed them on to other people and other people keep passing them on until the teachings reach us. And we will continue on passing them to other people.

Layperson:  I have this book of your teachings translated into Spanish.

Than Ajahn:  The one that you translated. Do you want to give it to me?

Layperson:  Yes.

Than Ajahn:  Okay, you can give it to me later, before you leave.

“Dhamma in English, Jan 3, 2019.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

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