“When you're unhappy, you'd blame the things that you can physically see. In reality, your discontent is due to your own craving.”

The Teachings of Ajahn Suchart.

6 April 2024

“When you're unhappy, you'd blame the things that you can physically see. In reality, your discontent is due to your own craving.”

- - -

Question: How is cultivating mindfulness related to being aware of dukkha —the first of the Four Noble Truths? 

Than Ajahn: Cultivating mindfulness (sati) has to do with the fourth Noble Truth, or the path (magga). It is to be aware and mindful of the movement of and changes in your body. There are four foundations to the Establishing of Mindfulness: body (kāya), feelings (vedanā), mind (citta), and phenomena (dhamma).

In the beginning, you have to start from the body—to use it as your basis (to cultivate mindfulness) for it is the easiest object of contemplation. Feelings, mind, and phenomena are subtler and more profound, hence difficult for beginners to penetrate. 

You have to be able to establish an awareness of your body first—to ground your mind and train it to be in the present in order to gain concentration (samādhi). You'll be able to see your suffering (dukkha)—the first of the Four Noble Truths—once your mind is concentrated. You won't be able to discern the first of the Four Noble Truths when your mind is restless, unfocussed, and distracted. When you're unhappy, you'd blame the things that you can physically see. You'd blame others, attributing your unhappiness to their actions. In reality, your discontent is due to your own craving—wanting them to be in a certain way.

In order for you to notice your unhappiness or discern dukkha— the first of the Four Noble Truths, you first need to calm and focus your mind. You ought to cultivate your mindfulness because it will lead to your mental calm and concentration. With a calm mind, you'll able to notice the difference immediately when suffering arises. It's because your mind will waver as opposed to being tranquil. The arising of suffering is like repercussions of throwing a stone into a pond. 

Only those with calm minds will notice the suffering when it arises, whereas those with unruly minds won't because their minds are constantly in flux. So to discern the first Noble Truth, or dukkha, requires an establishing of mindfulness—getting the mind concentrated first. The Buddha thus emphasised cultivating the path, or magga. Magga includes: generosity (dāna), precepts (sıla), and mental cultivation (bhāvanā). 

Bhāvanā is basically to establish mindfulness (sati), concentration (samādhi), and wisdom (paññā).

“Essential Teachings.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube: 

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