“Phra Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto was born on 2 November 1947. His father put him under the care of his grandmother, who was living in Suphanburi, when he was two years old due to his father’s demanding work schedule.

The teachings of Ajahn Suchart.

12th November, 2022

“Phra Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto was born on 2 November 1947. His father put him under the care of his grandmother, who was living in Suphanburi, when he was two years old due to his father’s demanding work schedule.

Phra Ajahn Suchart had an interest in the Dhamma since he was in grade school at the Seventh Day Adventist Ekamai School in Bangkok, which is now Ekamai International School. After graduating high school, he went to study Civil Engineering at California State University, Fresno (USA). He returned to Thailand once he had completed his degree and was running an ice-cream parlour for a short while.

An English Dhamma book on impermanence (anicca)––translated by a foreign monk from the Buddhist Canon (Tipiṭaka)––inspired him to search for a true happiness through ordination.

Phra Ajahn Suchart decided to become a monk when he was 27 years of age. He was ordained at Wat Bovornives in Bangkok on 19 February 1975 with Somdet Phra Ñāṇasaṅvara—the late Supreme Patriarch (Somdet Phra Sangharājā)—as his preceptor. His parents had no objection to his ordination as it was his choice.

As to why I ordained, I didn’t ordain because I was heartbroken. I never had a girlfriend. I never experienced any loss; my parents were still alive. I wouldn’t know what to be heartbroken about. I wouldn’t know what to grieve for.

If you were to ask me whether I experienced suffering or of what kind, I'd say that I just didn’t really feel happy. The happiness that I felt didn’t last. The happiness from partying and socialising was very short-lived. Once it’s gone, then the sadness and loneliness kicked in again. So then you have to socialise and party again. And this cycle keeps on going. So I got sick and tired of it.

[I thought] there must be something better than this. Once I’ve read Dhamma books, I found out that there is. So I started meditating and realised that this kind of happiness is real. Once you’ve experienced it, you feel at ease and there is no need to rely or depend on anyone. You didn’t even need money, whereas socialising and partying require money.

Once I’ve gained concentration (samādhi), I got hooked and started wanting to become more and more absorbed in it. I wanted to be in samādhi all day and all night, so then you have to practise around the clock.

About six weeks after ordination, Phra Ajahn Suchart travelled to Wat Pa Baan Taad to stay for the rains retreat with Luangta Mahā Boowa Ñāṇasampanno in Udon Thani. He stayed there for nine years from his first to his ninth rains retreat. He recounted his experience at Wat Pa Baan Taad as follows: 

I just simply carried on being a monk when I was at Wat Pa Baan Taad. I normally don’t enjoy chatting with anyone or getting involved. So when I was there, I was simply trying to carry out my duties. I meditated and practised on my own. Once I finished my chores and duties, I would just return to my place and do both sitting and walking meditation.

When Luangta called for a meeting, I would attend to listen to his talk, but I never had a chance to really speak to him because I didn’t really feel the need to. He already taught about everything in his Dhamma talks, ranging from precepts (sıla), concentration (samādhi), and wisdom (paññā) to liberation (vimutti).

I also read and relied on his Dhamma books. There were only two or three of them at the time: 

The Biography of Luangpu Mun, Pa˛ipad›, and The Mind’s Glasses (Waen Duang Jai). I mainly read these three and one other book, which was his Dhamma talk in English from the trip he made to London, England. So I used these books and spent about an hour each day to further my knowledge, and so there was no need to bother him.

I also didn’t want to get involved with anything or anyone at the time. I really enjoyed being by myself. I enjoyed tackling my own defilements and craving and addressing my own issues. So I wasn’t interested in dealing with anyone, not even monks.

After his time at Wat Pa Baan Taad, Phra Ajahn Suchart returned to Pattaya and stayed at Wat Bodhi Sampan, Chonburi, for one year. He then moved to Wat Yansangwararam in 1984 and has resided there until present.

Phra Ajahn Suchart was conferred a monastic title along with an emblematic fan on 5 December 1993. He was also promoted to become the Assistant Abbot, in charge of monks’ Dhamma practice and looking after the monastery’s land and premises.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

YouTube:  Dhamma in English.

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