The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.
5 August 2024“You can generate paññā by thinking according to reality, according to the truth.”
Question from Paris: After practising sati, when we have stopped thinking and dropped into samādhi, when does paññā appear and how does paññā appear?
Than Ajahn: Generating paññā has to wait until you come out of samādhi. When you are in samādhi, you are not thinking.
You can generate paññā by thinking according to reality, according to the truth. So, when you are in samādhi, when you have equanimity, you don’t do anything. You want to prolong that samādhi for as long as possible because it will give you mental strength.
When your mind is peaceful and calm, and when it’s without delusion or emotions, your mind will think rationally.
When you come out of samādhi, your mind is ready to face the truth that you normally would not like to face.
What kind of truth that you don’t like to face? The truth of anicca or impermanence. You don’t like to face this truth. You don’t like to face that we will have to get old, get sick and die. You don’t like to face that the body is not good-looking, the body is full of unwholesome or unattractive parts, such as the inner organs. So, when you first come out samadhi, when your mind is calm and peaceful, you can direct your mind to contemplate on this unattractive aspect of life, such as ageing, sickness, death, and separation.
After you come out of samadhi, when your mind is lucid, calm, peaceful and clear, it is the time when you develop paññā or wisdom.
Then, your mind can look at things clearly, such as seeing that your body or your family members’ bodies will have to get old, get sick and die; seeing that eventually there will be separation, that everybody in the family will go on his or her separate way. This is wisdom, paññā.
When you see the truth, you will then let go of your attachment to these people. You know if you’re attached to them, when they depart, it will make you sad. But if you are not attached to them, if you know that eventually you will have to be separated from them, you’re prepared for that eventuality. And when separation happens, you will not be saddened by the separation.
So, you do this contemplation after you come out of samādhi when your mind is neutral, when your mind is calm without any emotions.
Then, you can look at the truth. You want to look at it as long as possible until you can remember it. You want to look at the truth until you won’t forget about it.
Right now, you tend to forget. You don’t want to think about it because when you think about the truth, it makes you feel sad. So, you don’t want to think about it. But when your mind comes out of samādhi, your mind will not be sad when you look at the truth. Your mind will be brave. Your mind will be strong. Your mind is ready to face the truth. This is paññā.
You have to think of the truth. You already knew it, but you try to evade thinking about it.
You don’t want to think about it. However, you have to keep thinking about it until you see it in your mind, all the time. Then, you will change your attitude towards the things that you will have to be separated from. Instead of clinging or attaching to them, you will be detaching from them. You will let go.
When you let go, then you will not be sad when you have to be separated from the things that you love or people that you love.
Youtube: “Dhamma in English, Sep 7, 2018.”
By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
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