The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.
Question: What is avijjā?
Than Ajahn: Avijjā is the opposite of vijjā. Vijjā is knowledge. Avijjā is no knowledge, no knowledge of enlightenment. So, you have to study from the Buddha to get vijjā. Once you have vijjā, then you can get rid of avijjā (ignorance).
Question: Do we destroy avijjā when we are in samādhi or when we are out of samādhi?
Than Ajahn: No, avijjā is not destroyed by samādhi. Samādhi only suppresses it, prevents it from working. Avijjā can only be destroyed by vijjā, by the knowledge that the Buddha taught us to develop, namely aniccaṁ, dukkhaṁ, anattā. Right now, we don’t see things as aniccaṁ, dukkhaṁ, anattā. We see things as niccaṁ, sukhaṁ, attā—we see things as permanent; we see things as happy; we see things as mine: this is not the truth. The truth is everything is impermanent; it will hurt you, it will not make you happy; and it doesn’t belong to you.
“Dhamma in English, Apr 24, 2019.”
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Question (M): Can the same mind be the mind that is at one time ‘avijjā’ and at another time ‘vijjā’?
Than Ajahn: Yes, but once it’s vijjā, it won’t be avijjā anymore. Once you know it, you will always know it. Once you are enlightened, you cannot be delusional anymore.
Question (M): Is it true that the same reality can be conditioned and can be unconditioned when being viewed by different minds?
Than Ajahn: It is a matter of having different minds view things differently. When you are enlightened, you will think that everything is impermanent; everything is not under your control; everything is not good for you. A delusional mind will think that everything is good; everything is permanent; everything can be managed and can be controlled. These are the differences between the mind that is ‘vijjā’ and the mind that is ‘avijjā.’
An enlightened mind sees everything as it is. An enlightened mind sees that everything contains the Three Characteristics nature in it.
A delusional mind sees everything in the opposite way. It sees everything without the Three Characteristics nature in it. Instead of seeing that everything is impermanent, a delusional mind sees everything as permanent.
Instead of seeing everything as bad for the mind, it sees that everything is good for the mind. Instead of seeing that everything is not a self, it sees everything as a self or as belonging to itself. So, these are the differences between an enlightened mind and a delusional mind.
You’re to re-educate the mind to see the truth as it is. Right now, you see the truth under the delusional mind. So, you are always unhappy because everything is not what you think it is.
But once you see everything as it is, you leave it alone. You don’t need it to be happy. You can be happy without having anything. This is something you don’t know. That’s why you have to pull yourselves away from everything by practising meditation. When you meditate, you’re pulling your mind away from the sensual organs—the eyes, ears, nose and tongue. You go inside. Once the mind goes inside, you become peaceful and content then the mind knows it doesn’t need to have anything.
“Dhamma in English, Dec 18, 2018.”
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Layperson 2: At that parting moment (when one destroys avijjā), one isn’t aware of it, but one just knows something has happened to him/her.
Than Ajahn: No, you know. You know that you’re investigating the nature of the body.
When you see it as aniccaṁ, dukkhaṁ, anattā, then you let go of it. When you let go of it, there will be this feeling of deliverance, releasing something heavy that you’ve been carrying in your mind.
Layperson 2: Other than that, you don’t know that parting moment because you aren’t there to experience it.
Than Ajahn: You’re there—the mind. You are the mind. You know it. It will always remain in your memory for the rest of your life. You will never forget it.
Layperson 1: Because the awareness is there.
Than Ajahn: Yeah.
Layperson 2: Even though it happened long, long time ago, one will still remember it. It’s very sharp in one’s mind. It’s like it happened yesterday.
Than Ajahn: Yes. Someone asked the Buddha whether an arahant can forget something. The answer is, ‘Yes.’ The arahant can forget names, places, or time. Then, he asked the Buddha again whether there is anything that an arahant never forget. The Buddha said, ‘The Four Noble Truths.’ An arahant will never forget the Four Noble Truths, the moment when the path and the fruit happen. They are in the Four Noble Truths. No Alzheimer can eliminate this knowledge from the mind of an arahant.
Layperson 2: Like it happened yesterday.
Than Ajahn: Yes, it’s right now. It’s here and now. It’s not yesterday or tomorrow. Dhamma is here and now, akāliko.
“Dhamma in English, Feb 21, 2018.”
By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com
The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.
Question: What is avijjā?
Than Ajahn: Avijjā is the opposite of vijjā. Vijjā is knowledge. Avijjā is no knowledge, no knowledge of enlightenment. So, you have to study from the Buddha to get vijjā. Once you have vijjā, then you can get rid of avijjā (ignorance).
Question: Do we destroy avijjā when we are in samādhi or when we are out of samādhi?
Than Ajahn: No, avijjā is not destroyed by samādhi. Samādhi only suppresses it, prevents it from working. Avijjā can only be destroyed by vijjā, by the knowledge that the Buddha taught us to develop, namely aniccaṁ, dukkhaṁ, anattā. Right now, we don’t see things as aniccaṁ, dukkhaṁ, anattā. We see things as niccaṁ, sukhaṁ, attā—we see things as permanent; we see things as happy; we see things as mine: this is not the truth. The truth is everything is impermanent; it will hurt you, it will not make you happy; and it doesn’t belong to you.
“Dhamma in English, Apr 24, 2019.”
- - - - - - - - - -
Question (M): Can the same mind be the mind that is at one time ‘avijjā’ and at another time ‘vijjā’?
Than Ajahn: Yes, but once it’s vijjā, it won’t be avijjā anymore. Once you know it, you will always know it. Once you are enlightened, you cannot be delusional anymore.
Question (M): Is it true that the same reality can be conditioned and can be unconditioned when being viewed by different minds?
Than Ajahn: It is a matter of having different minds view things differently. When you are enlightened, you will think that everything is impermanent; everything is not under your control; everything is not good for you. A delusional mind will think that everything is good; everything is permanent; everything can be managed and can be controlled. These are the differences between the mind that is ‘vijjā’ and the mind that is ‘avijjā.’
An enlightened mind sees everything as it is. An enlightened mind sees that everything contains the Three Characteristics nature in it. A delusional mind sees everything in the opposite way. It sees everything without the Three Characteristics nature in it. Instead of seeing that everything is impermanent, a delusional mind sees everything as permanent. Instead of seeing everything as bad for the mind, it sees that everything is good for the mind. Instead of seeing that everything is not a self, it sees everything as a self or as belonging to itself. So, these are the differences between an enlightened mind and a delusional mind.
You’re to re-educate the mind to see the truth as it is. Right now, you see the truth under the delusional mind. So, you are always unhappy because everything is not what you think it is. But once you see everything as it is, you leave it alone. You don’t need it to be happy. You can be happy without having anything. This is something you don’t know. That’s why you have to pull yourselves away from everything by practising meditation. When you meditate, you’re pulling your mind away from the sensual organs—the eyes, ears, nose and tongue. You go inside. Once the mind goes inside, you become peaceful and content then the mind knows it doesn’t need to have anything.
“Dhamma in English, Dec 18, 2018.”
- - - - - - - - - -
Layperson 2: At that parting moment (when one destroys avijjā), one isn’t aware of it, but one just knows something has happened to him/her.
Than Ajahn: No, you know. You know that you’re investigating the nature of the body. When you see it as aniccaṁ, dukkhaṁ, anattā, then you let go of it. When you let go of it, there will be this feeling of deliverance, releasing something heavy that you’ve been carrying in your mind.
Layperson 2: Other than that, you don’t know that parting moment because you aren’t there to experience it.
Than Ajahn: You’re there—the mind. You are the mind. You know it. It will always remain in your memory for the rest of your life. You will never forget it.
Layperson 1: Because the awareness is there.
Than Ajahn: Yeah.
Layperson 2: Even though it happened long, long time ago, one will still remember it. It’s very sharp in one’s mind. It’s like it happened yesterday.
Than Ajahn: Yes. Someone asked the Buddha whether an arahant can forget something. The answer is, ‘Yes.’ The arahant can forget names, places, or time. Then, he asked the Buddha again whether there is anything that an arahant never forget. The Buddha said, ‘The Four Noble Truths.’ An arahant will never forget the Four Noble Truths, the moment when the path and the fruit happen. They are in the Four Noble Truths. No Alzheimer can eliminate this knowledge from the mind of an arahant.
Layperson 2: Like it happened yesterday.
Than Ajahn: Yes, it’s right now. It’s here and now. It’s not yesterday or tomorrow. Dhamma is here and now, akāliko.
“Dhamma in English, Feb 21, 2018.”
By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com
YouTube: Dhamma in English.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g
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