Ajahn Naeb

 Ajahn Naeb

Ajahn Naeb was born into the family of a Thai governor in a province bordering Burma. At the age of thirty-five, she began the study of Buddhist psychology and insight meditation under Ajahn Pathunta U Vilasa. Twelve years later she began teaching, establishing centers for study and meditation at many temples, and finally under royal patronage established a Buddhist Research and Mental Welfare Association at Wat Sraket in Bangkok.

Wat Sraket is an island of quiet, cool chambers and halls in the center of modern Bankgkok. A visit to Ajahn Naeb is a chance to hear clear and direct Dharma.

She may first instruct the visitors to sit comfortably and naturally, and then ask them not to move. Shortly, of course, one automatically begins to change position. “Wait, hold it. Why are you moving? Don’t move yet. “

The teachings of Ajahn Naeb point directly to the most obvious source of suffering, our own bodies, and minds. If we simply stay still and try not to move, eventually the pain increases so we must change posture. 

Almost all of our daily actions follow the same pattern. After waking, we arise and go to the bathroom to ease our bladder pain. Then we eat to ease the discomfort of hunger. Then we sit down to ease the pain of standing. then we read or talk or watch TV (or Facebook) to distract us from the pain of our turbulent mind. Then we move again to ease another discomfort.

Each movement, each action is not to bring happiness but to ease the inevitable suffering that comes from being identified with a body.

Ajahn Naeb’s way has the simple approach of looking at the cause and effect of suffering in our daily lives and actions. Clear perception of this process is the direct entry to the end of suffering and the happiness of the Buddha.

Taken from ‘Living Buddhist Masters’ by Jack Kornfield