The Teaching of Ajahn Chah.

The Teaching of Ajahn Chah.

So today, all of you children and relatives gathered together here, observe how your mother has become your child. Before you were her children, now she has become yours. She has become older and older until she has become a child again. Her memory goes, her eyes don’t see well and her ears aren’t so good. 

Sometimes she garbles her words. Don’t let it upset you. You who are nursing the sick must know how to let go also. Don’t hold onto things, just let her  have her own way. When a young child is disobedient sometimes the parents let it have its own way just to keep the peace, just to make it happy. Now your mother is just like that child. Her  memories and perceptions are confused. Sometimes she muddles up your names, or asks you  to bring a cup when she wants a plate. It’s normal, don’t be upset by it.

Let the patient bear in mind the kindness of those who nurse and patiently endure the painful feelings. 

Exert yourself mentally, don’t let the mind become scattered and confused, and don’t make things difficult for those looking after you. Let those who are nursing fill their minds with virtue and kindness. 

Don’t be averse to the unattractive side of the job, cleaning up the  mucous and phlegm, urine and excrement.Try your best. 

Everyone in the family give a hand. 

She is the only mother you have. She gave you life, she has been your teacher, your doctor and  your nurse  –  she’s been everything to you. That she has brought you up, shared her wealth  with you and made you her heir is the great goodness of parents.  

That is why the Buddha taught the virtues of kataññ¯u and kataved¯ı, knowing our debt of gratitude and trying to repay it. These two dhammas are complimentary. If our parents are in  need, unwell or in difficulty, then we do our best to help them. This is kataññ¯u -kataved¯ı, the  virtue that sustains the world. It prevents families from breaking up, and makes them stable and harmonious.

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐚 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬. 𝐈 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐭𝐨  𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨 𝐈 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐚,  𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡, 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐡𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐭. 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐝. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞  𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡. 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧.

~ Ajahn Chah