The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.
31 August 2024
Question: Respected Venerable Ajahn, is teaching Dhamma only limited to monks? Can laypersons teach the Dhamma?
Than Ajahn: Well, as far as teaching is concerned, it doesn’t matter whether you’re a monk or a layperson. What matter is whether you know what you’re teaching or not. If you don’t know what you’re teaching, whether you are a monk or a layperson, then it’s useless. So, you first have to know what you’re teaching. You have to teach what you know. There are two kinds of knowledge:
(1) the knowledge that learned by studying and reading the scriptures, and;
(2) the knowledge that arrives from one’s own practice.
The real knowledge is the one that arrives from the practice. The knowledge that you learned from studying is still not true knowledge, it’s still under your imagination because you haven’t seen the real thing yet. It’s like the difference between coming here and reading about this place. It’s absolutely different, right? If you have never been here, you could only imagine what this place is like, and you could only tell other people through your imagination which could be right or could be wrong. But if you have been here, then you can tell others exactly what you’ve seen. This is the simile of those two kinds of knowledge.
The Buddha prefers us to teach the true knowledge, the knowledge that arrives from our own practice. The Buddha said that you first have to study and practice until you become enlightened. Once you’ve become enlightened, if you want to teach others or if there are people asking you to teach, you can do it. You teach them if you are able to do it because you have to have a certain ability to do the teaching. For some people, it might be difficult to do the teaching. Some teachers can teach proficiently and some teachers can’t do it proficiently.
Therefore, there are differences when people listen to different teachers. These are the things that you have to consider when you want to become a teacher.
But, you should first teach yourself until you become enlightened, until you’ve totally got rid of your suffering (dukkha). Once you have done this, then you can teach anybody if you want to.
You have a choice. You’re not forced to teach. It’s up to you. Some teachers don’t teach because they are not used to teaching. Some ajahns, although they are enlightened, they hardly teach anything because they might not have the teaching ability. Usually, those who are enlightened will teach, but they don’t teach because they want to teach, they teach either because they are asked to teach or there are people who come to them and ask for advice.
They wouldn’t go walk around and ask people to come and listen to their Dhamma talks.
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Question: If the laypeople study the Dhamma from scriptures and then teach others with the intention of spreading the Dhamma, and at the same time, they also charge a minimum fee when they do it, what is your opinion on this?
Than Ajahn: This is not good, because the knowledge that you teach could be misleading, could be wrong. Second, you’re wasting your precious time. You should use this time to practice and become enlightened first. It’s like going to the university. You should concentrate on doing your degree first before you teach. Don’t go to the university and skip classes to go teach other people because if you do this, then you’ll never graduate. So, don’t do it this way.
Be patient. There are plenty of books and other teachers around where other people can go and study.
However, if there are people who come and ask you something that you know, even though you know it not from your own practice but from the scriptures that you’re quite certain that it’s right, you can share with them. But don’t make it as a profession or your occupation. Your occupation should be practicing the Dhamma first. Ok? Once you’ve realized the Dhamma, then there’s no more work for you, and then you can become a teacher. And once you start teaching, people will support you if they find your teaching worthwhile.
“Dhamma in English, Jun 7, 2019.”
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Question: Can a layperson teach meditation?
Than Ajahn: Anybody can teach meditation if they know how to do it. But if they don’t know how to do it, then they cannot teach other people how to do it. So, you need to teach yourself how to meditate first.
When you know how to meditate and can meditate successfully, then you can teach other people to meditate if you want.
“Dhamma in English, Aug 29, 2021.”
By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
Youtube: Dhamma in English
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g
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