The Teachings of Ajahn Suchart.
12 September 2024
“If you want to have long-term happiness, you have to have long-term practice.”
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Question: In the Sutta, it is written that one should seek seclusion by going into the forest to look for caves or sit under the trees, so I suppose that is for monastics or for the monks.
For lay people, how should we apply this, maybe by staying or practicing alone at home, is it ok Ajahn?
Tan Ajahn: If you can have a room to yourself with an air-conditioner, shut the window, shut the door, turn on the air-conditioner, and put a sign outside, do not disturb. Turn off your phone, turn off everything that can disturb you, then it is like being in the forest.
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Question: Generally how long or how frequent does the practitioner have to meditate. Is there any general guideline for this, Tan Ajahn?
Tan Ajahn: I think there is a saying that practice makes perfect. So the more you practice, the more you become perfect at it. So the Buddha said you have to strive. You have to have viriya or diligence in your practice.
The more hours you put in, the better result you get eventually. It is like in sport. If you want to be a good athlete, you have to put in the practice, you have to train. If you are a runner, a marathon runner, you have to run every day. If you run once a month, you will not be able to run a marathon.
This is the same thing. If you want to have strong mindfulness, you have to keep developing and maintaining mindfulness at all time. If you want to have jhāna, you have to sit and meditate many, many hours, until you eventually get the result. There is no other way.
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Question: How can I practice for my longterm happiness?
Tan Ajahn: If you want to have long-term happiness, you have to have long-term practice.
“Dhamma for the Asking, Nov 11, 2014”
By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g
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