“Ideally you have to be alone. You want to devote all your time and effort to developing your mind.”

The Teachings of Ajahn Suchart.

15 July 2024

“Ideally you have to be alone. You want to devote all your time and effort to developing your mind.”

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Monk: When you stayed at Wat Pa Baan Taad, you didn’t really get to know other monks, how does that work in the Dhamma practice?

Than Ajahn: So you can have the time to meditate. If you mingle, you lose the time and then also you have a lot of information about other people in your mind, which disrupts your meditation for appaṇā-samādhi. 

When you want to enter into appaṇā-samādhi, you have to empty your mind. When you mingle and socialise, you have more mental information. This makes it harder for you to empty your mind. When you are alone you don’t have to talk to anybody. Luangta discouraged monks from mingling. 

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Monk: Some young monks feel lonely. What is your advice?

Than Ajahn: Disrobe.

Monk: Should there be any friendship to support one’s practice in his early days as a young monk even if it is a hindrance to achieve samādhi?

Than Ajahn: Ideally there is no form of friendship. Ideally you have to be alone. You want to devote all your time and effort to developing your mind. If you have to develop friendships, you lose time.

“Australian Monks from Sydney, Feb 19, 2015”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

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