The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.
Question: I try to think about developing mindfulness practice in 3 ways: the first way is if my mind is busy, I go back to the breath or to a mantra; if sometimes I feel a bit angry, I try to use mettā; and if there is some desire, then I’d like to meditate on the 32 parts of the body. I’m wondering if it’s the correct way, and if you can add anything to it, please.
Than Ajahn: It sounds right to me what you say about what you do. But you have to be the one to know it yourself whether it works or not, whether it can calm your mind down or not. If they can calm your mind down, then that’s the right method. The whole goal is to keep your mind calm and peaceful. When the mind becomes aroused by something, then you have to find the right medicine for it. If you’re angry, then you have to have compassion, love, and forgiveness.
When somebody makes you angry, you have to forgive that person. When you can forgive that person, your anger will disappear. If you have any sexual desire, then you have to contemplate on the 32 parts of the body because when you see the parts that are not attractive, your desire for the body will dissipate.
Question: Is that only for sexual desire and not for other desires?
Than Ajahn: It depends on the object of desire you have. If it’s the desire for an automobile, then you have to use impermanence: the car won’t last long and the happiness you get from the car is brief, only at the time when you buy it; after you have it, you’ll start to have headache with it, hence it may not be worth having it. So, you have to look at it this way: besides getting happiness from the object you want, you’ll also get unhappiness, you’ll have problems with the things you acquire because they change, they can become bad instead of remaining in good condition. They change. So, you have to look at the Three Characteristics of those objects: they are impermanent; they will hurt you; and you cannot control them, you cannot tell them to be nice and good all the time.
Question: How about other conditions?
Than Ajahn: Same thing, any kinds of conditions, they all fall within the Three Characteristics. Like the heat right now, you might hate the heat, you want to get rid of the heat but you know it’s not under your control—it’s anattā, it’s the natural process that you have to learn to live with. So, you have to stop your desire to run away from the heat. The best way is to live with it, by making your mind calm, by meditating to calm your mind, then your mind will accept whatever happens at that time.
Question: And that would also apply to things like grieving?_
Than Ajahn: Yes, the same thing. Anything. If you run into a situation which causes you to have some emotional stress, then you just have to accept that thing happens because it’s not under your control. The problem is you don’t want things like that to happen and that makes you sad. Things in life are like that: things that you don’t want them to happen, they happen; things that you want them to happen, they don’t happen. So, you just have to take them as they come, good or bad. Alright?
“Dhamma in English, Apr 22, 2019.”
By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
YouTube: Dhamma in English.
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