The teachings of Ajahn Suchart.
16 May 2024
Question: What are the factors that will determine whether someone can attain enlightenment in this life time?
Than Ajahn: I think there is a sutta that says about the factors of enlightenment. There are 7 factors. But basically, you need to have mindfulness, samādhi and wisdom: these are the factors that will make you become enlightened.
You have to first develop samādhi. Before you have samādhi, you need to develop mindfulness because without mindfulness you cannot have samādhi. Once you have samādhi, then you will have the strength of mind to contemplate on the truth of existence. Once you see the truth of existence, then you can let go of your craving and your attachment to all existence.
Because existence is dukkha (suffering).
When you’re born, you’re subjected to many different kinds of suffering—you suffer because you have to survive; you suffer when you get old, get sick and are dying; you suffer when you lose your loved ones, when you are separated from the things you love; you suffer when you have to face the things that you don’t like to face. If you don’t want to face any kinds of suffering, then you’ll have to stop birth.
In order to stop birth, you need to stop the cause of birth. The cause of birth is your cravings or your desires: craving for sensual pleasure or sensual gratification, craving for being, and craving for not being—these are the 3 desires or cravings that you have to get rid of. And to get rid of them, you need sīla (morality), samādhi and paññā (wisdom).
You have to keep doing these 3 practices: keep the precepts; develop mindfulness to develop samādhi; once you have samadhi, then you can develop wisdom.
Once you have wisdom, you become enlightened.
You see that the cause of your suffering is your desires, your cravings.
When you know that, then you just stop your cravings.
Once you have no cravings, then there will be no birth, no ageing, sickness and death.
“Dhamma in English, Mar 15, 2019.”
By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
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