“Teaching the mind to stop thinking is Dhamma.”

The teachings of Ajahn Suchart.

28 October 2023

“Teaching the mind to stop thinking is Dhamma.”

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Question (M): I did Ānāpānasati for one hour this morning and my mind started to think about Dhamma. In this case what do I have to do? Do I have to go back to Ānāpānasati or can I let my mind think about Dhamma?

Than Ajahn: It depends on what you want. If you want the mind to be still, then you should not think. You should stop your thinking by focusing on your breath. Both, being still and thinking of Dhamma, are important.

However, being calm and still are the first step you should master. If you haven’t mastered this step, you should not worry about thinking about Dhamma.

Thinking of the Dhamma is the second step to do. So, the first step is to be able to stop your mind because if you cannot stop your mind, when you think of the Dhamma, you cannot apply it to your mind.

Teaching the mind to stop thinking is Dhamma. If you don’t have the ability to stop the mind, then it’s useless to have the Dhamma to teach you. 

Dhamma teaches you the reason why you should stop thinking. It’s because everything you do hurts you more than helps you. You don’t see this truth.

Therefore, you first have to learn how to stop your mind.

Once you know how to stop your mind, then you study the Dhamma to find out why you have to stop it. It’s because stopping the mind is better than not stopping it.

Youtube: “Dhamma in English, Nov 9, 2018.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com

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