“You have to practice intensively from the time you get up to the time you go to sleep, every day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. No day off. No holidays.”

The teachings of Ajahn Suchart

“You have to practice intensively from the time you get up to the time you go to sleep, every day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. No day off. No holidays.”

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Question:  Is the number 7 days, 7 months (to attain enlightenment), a nominal number?

Than Ajahn:  Someone can do it even in a shorter period than that, maybe in one day. It depends on each person’s ability to grasp the Dhamma and apply it in his mind to get rid of his defilements. So, it can be anything from one minute. 

Sometimes when a person listens to a Dhamma talk, he becomes enlightened right away. But the Buddha in his discourse on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, has guaranteed that if the monks follow his instructions, they will become enlightened either in 7 days or 7 months or 7 years.

Question:  Is it more difficult for female to do it?

Than Ajahn:  It doesn’t depend on whether you are a male or female, but whether you have the time to practice or not. It doesn’t matter whether you are a monk or a layperson, a male or female, but it’s the time you have to devote to the practice. If you don’t have the time, you cannot practice. Then, you cannot get the result.

Even if you become a monk, if you become involve in many other activities instead of practising like bringing people around to go to India, to do dāna, etc, then you won’t have time to practice. You won’t become enlightened.

Enlightenment is the result of intensive practice. You have to practice intensively from the time you get up to the time you go to sleep, every day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. No day off. No holidays.

Youtube video: “Dhamma in English, Aug 15, 2018.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g