“If you rely on maintaining mindfulness only when you are in sitting meditation, your mindfulness will not be strong enough.”

The Teachings of Ajahn Suchart.

9th July, 2022

“If you rely on maintaining mindfulness only when you are in sitting meditation, your mindfulness will not be strong enough.”

Question:  How by keeping on reciting Buddho can tame the mind? 

Than Ajahn:  When you recite Buddho, you prevent your mind from thinking about other things and when you are not thinking about other things, your mind becomes calm. It can become still.

…….

Question:  I realize that upon sitting, reciting and counting Buddho for about an hour and ten minutes, my mind starts to drift away more often. In order to build the strength of my mindfulness, should I just keep continuing in this position or should I start to go into walking meditation?

Than Ajahn:  You can maintain mindfulness in all four postures, you can walk, you can sit. 

Whatever you do, you should maintain mindfulness. If you rely on maintaining mindfulness only when you are in sitting meditation, your mindfulness will not be strong enough. So you have to develop mindfulness from the time you get up. 

When you get up you have to use something to keep your mind away from thinking. You can use reciting a mantra like Buddho, Buddho or you can focus on your body activities, whatever your body is doing, just focus on that activity only, like if you are washing, taking a shower, brushing your teeth, dressing, just be with that activity, don’t let your mind goes think about other thing. In this way, you are developing and maintaining mindfulness. If you can do this, by the time you sit, you have a strong mindfulness. You can sit and concentrate and your mind can become calm and peaceful very quickly.

By Ajaan Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

Youtube: Dhamma in English

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g