The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.
19 July 2023
Question: The beginning of all conflict starts from objectification, what does it mean?
Than Ajahn: It means everything comes from a self. When there is a self, then there will be conflict with other self because each self wants to provide things for itself. So when they try to get things from the same resources, they might resort to conflicts. If there is no self, then there is no need to go seek for anything. If the mind can return to its original true state which is merely knowing, then there is no need to have any conflict with anyone because in that state you are happy. You don’t need to have anything to make yourself happy.
But as soon as your mind is being identified by the sense of a self, then you feel that you have to get something for yourself to make yourself happy. So you have to kill this self by stop thinking about yourself, and by meditating a lot to get into jhāna—that’s when the sense of self will temporarily stopped.
And you will discover that having no self is better than having a self.
Question: So the only way to solve this problem is to see all things as anattā, am I right?
Than Ajahn: Yes. You need to meditate. You have to get into jhāna—this is when you will see anattā. But you can only stay in there briefly.
When you come out of that state, you have to use your thought to remind yourself that everything is anattā, there is no self in everything. So, no need to fight, no need to compete for resources because each of our mind is complete in itself, it doesn’t need to have anything. But the deluded mind doesn’t know this. The mind that is delusional is constantly craving for things to make it happy because it never enters into jhāna.
So you want to train your mind to enter into jhāna to see what it is like when the mind has no craving, when the mind is not creating a self, then you will see that there is peace and happiness in that state of mind. And when you come out of that state, you have to keep reminding yourself not to go after anything.
Because everything you go after, sooner or later, will cause you suffering than give you happiness because everything is temporary, everything is impermanent.
Question: So it means that the mind that is peaceful is the mind that is in abundance, a mind that is complete on its own, it isn’t a mind that is in scarcity.
Than Ajahn: That’s right. Because what makes the mind in scarcity is the craving. Once you have craving, no matter how much you have, it will never be enough. If you have $1million, you want $10 million; if you have $10 million, you want $100 million, and so forth. It keeps going. It keeps multiplying.
It never feels content. Look at all the millionaires.
Ask them if they already have enough money, they would say ‘no’, even though they know they can’t spend all the money they have in their lifetime, yet their minds are still hunger for more.
So you have to stop your craving.
Once you stop your craving, you have contentment. You become full. You become complete. You don’t feel you need anything.
That’s why meditation is very important to retrain the mind.
And what is important for mediation is mindfulness. So you have to practise mindfulness from the time you get up to the time you go to sleep. Try to stop your thoughts as much as possible.
Question: Now I am using the word ‘non-reactive’ which is helpful.
Than Ajahn: You can use ‘no thinking, no thinking’ or ‘stop thinking, stop thinking’. Stop talking to yourself!
Why are you keep talking to yourself for, all day long? Just watch. Just observe.
“Dhamma in English, Dec 14, 2021.”
By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
YouTube: Dhamma in English.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g
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