The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.
11 January, 2023
Student: One of the chanting is giving prayers to the Sangha,’Uju-paṭipanno bhagavato sāvaka-saṅgho, Ñāya-paṭipanno bhagavato sāvaka-saṅgho, Sāmīci-paṭipanno bhagavato sāvaka-saṅgho,’ which refer to the Sangha who have practiced straightforwardly, methodically, and masterfully. Why did the Buddha have to say it three times?
Than Ajahn: 4 times. The first one is Supaṭipanno. Because this is how you should practice. Supaṭipanno means to practice well.
Uju-paṭipanno means to practice straightforwardly. My translation of Ñāya-paṭipanno is to practice for the eradication of your suffering, for getting rid of your suffering. Sāmīci-paṭipanno is to practice correctly according to the teachings of the Buddha. So you need these 4 in order to practice properly to get the result. You have to Supaṭipanno, Uju-paṭipanno, Ñāya-paṭipanno and Sāmīci-paṭipanno. If you can do these 4, then you can become a noble disciple because these are the qualities of the noble disciples.
Student: I was doing the chanting and was trying to understand the difference between these four words because they sound the same thing to me.
Than Ajahn: They are different. Supaṭipanno means you have to be a good student. You have to be an ‘A’ student to be Supaṭipanno.
You have to practice all the time, 100 percent.
If you only practice 50 percent, then this is half Supaṭipanno.
To practice straightforwardly [Uju-paṭipanno] means to practice toward nibbāna. You don’t want to practice for any other purpose. You don't want to practice to become a deva. You don’t want to practice to become a brahma.
You want to practice to become a noble disciple, to be an arahant.
The third one [Ñāya-paṭipanno] means that you want to practice for the eradication of dukkha in the four noble truths.
Can you do these 4? Not yet? You only practice 10% of your time, right? So you only get 10% Supaṭipanno result, not even a passing grade because a passing grade should be 50%. [laugh]
Student: That’s true. How about Sāmīci-paṭipanno?
Than Ajahn: It’s to practice correctly: sammā-diṭṭhi, sammā-sankappa, sammā-kammanta.
You have to practice correctly: Right-practice.
For example, when you keep the 8 precept, you are not supposed to eat after midday. You shouldn’t eat at 2 P.M. If you eat at 2 P.M., this is not considered to be practicing correctly.
You have to not eat after midday: this is to practice correctly.
“Dhamma in English, Jun 28, 2022.”
By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
YouTube: Dhamma in English.
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