“Before enlightenment you have desires for the senses. After enlightenment, you don’t have likes or dislikes or have any desire for them. You perceive them as having their own nature.”

The Teachings of Ajahn Suchart.

4th September, 2022

“Before enlightenment you have desires for the senses. After enlightenment, you don’t have likes or dislikes or have any desire for them. You perceive them as having their own nature.”

Question:  What is sakkāya–diṭṭhi and how to get rid of sakkāya–diṭṭhi?

Than Ajahn:  Sakkāya–diṭṭhi means having the wrong view, to think that the body is yourself, the feeling of the body is your feeling, which in fact they are not yours. The mind is not the body. The mind is deluded to think that the body is itself and the painful feeling that arises in the body is the painful feeling of the mind. In fact it is just the painful feeling of the body. 

If the mind has the right understanding about the body, the understanding that the body is not the mind, then the mind can deal with the impermanence of the body and the painful feeling of the body without being affected and being hurt by the sickness, aging or death of the body. When the body gets sick the mind lets the body gets sick, when the body gets old, the mind lets the body gets old, and when the body dies, the mind lets the body dies. If the mind can let go of the body and leave the body alone, then the mind has let go of the sakkāya–diṭṭhi. The mind will not be hurt by the aging, sickness and death of the body. 

You have to be totally willing to let the body gets sick anytime, anywhere, anyplace; be willing to let the body dies with no resistance and with no desire for the body not to get old, not to get sick and not to die. If you can do that, you will be free from the suffering caused by the body.

…………….

Question:  How does one perceive senses such as sight, sound, taste, smell and touch before and after enlightenment?

Than Ajahn:  Before enlightenment you have desire for the senses. You have likes and dislikes for them. 

After enlightenment, you don’t have likes or dislikes or any desire for them. You perceive them as having their own nature. Before enlightenment you react to what you see or what you hear, and the practice is to get rid of this reaction by using sati (mindfulness), samādhi and paññā (wisdom).

By Ajaan Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

Youtube: Dhamma in English

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