The teachings of Ajahn Suchart.
30th November, 2022
Question: Sri Lankans are undergoing a difficult period with constant strikes, protests, mob violence, fuel and essential commodity shortage etc. The minds of the people are disturbed.
What advice do you have to offer to these people? How can they maintain their mental balance? Please advise.
Than Ajahn: You can say that it could be worse. Just look at other countries such as Ukraine that are in a worse shape than yours. People in Ukraine suffer more than anyone else. So if you can see things in a balanced manner, you will realise that the problems you are facing at the moment are not that bad.
If you want to use wisdom, then you just have to see it in the light of the Three Characteristics of Existence.
This is the way life is. It’s anicca, changing from good to bad and from bad to good; anatta, it is the work of nature and is something that we cannot intercept or interfere. So we just have to learn to live with it.
Then there will be no suffering or dukkha.
But if we want to change the situation or if we want to go back to what it used to be when everything seemed to be in abundance, then we would have a lot of suffering or dukkha because we cannot go back to that original state. We have to live with the present situation. So as practitioners, we teach the mind to remain calm, to remain in equanimity, and to accept things as they come.
However, that does not mean that we don’t do anything. We will try to do the best we can.
Hope for the best, but we have to expect the worst. Then we will not feel so bad. If we think of somebody who is in a worse shape than we are—somebody who is blind, somebody who is handicapped, who is sick for instance—then we will be able to see things in a more balanced way.
Question: Many people in Sri Lanka are uncertain about their future given the bad financial crisis in the country.
How should one get ready to face a bad crisis like this?
Than Ajahn: By contemplating on death a lot. Eventually, we all are going to die. So it does not matter what happens in this world. Whether it is good or bad, eventually everybody will lose everything anyway. We all will have to die one day, sooner or later.
This is something that we keep forgetting: that we will all die, that we will lose everything that we have. If you are constantly contemplating on death, then you will not feel bad or sad about the present situation and you will try to work as best as you can. Take things as they come. But eventually you know that we all are going to end up dead anyway. So death contemplation can be helpful to remind us of the true situation of our life.
We are all subjected to aging, sickness and death. This is considered to be natural and no one can avoid this truth.
Question: What are Buddha’s advice on house management/monetary management during difficult times?
Than Ajahn: Try to economize your expenses. Try to reduce your expenses. Spend only on the essentials and give up the non-essentials. Then you will have less expenses and will not face monetary problem.
Question: In society, we come across different types of people. From envy to hatred we become victims of other people’s uncontrolled emotions. What is the best way to handle such people?
Than Ajahn: Just like the way you handle nature, I guess! Or just like the way you deal with the weather.
You cannot change the changing nature of the weather. Sometimes it can be hot, sometimes it can be cold.
Sometimes it can be wet, or sometimes it can be dry. We learn to live with these things.
So it’s the same way with people.
According to Buddhism, people are a work of nature like the weather. So we just have to learn to take them as they come. Don’t try to change them. Try to adapt to these situations. Adjust yourself, so that you don’t react emotionally. Merely know them for who/what they are.
“Dhamma in English, Jun 5, 2022.”
By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
YouTube: Dhamma in English.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g
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