The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.
24 June 2023
Student: I read that if the mind is inherently sad, then it is like the mind's states of those in the lower realm. Does it mean that people with depression, they will take rebirth in the lower realm in future lives?
Than Ajahn: Yes. If the mind is sad, depressed, or has dukkha, then it means that the mind is being affected by its bad kamma, so the mind will have to go take birth in the lower realm of existence.
But if you're still alive, you can change it. Try to make good kamma by practicing mindfulness. The more mindfulness you practice, the less depress your mind will become, and eventually you can overcome your depression entirely. Then your mind will become a happy mind and you will be reborn in a higher realm of existence.
So practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is the most important thing for the mind. With mindfulness, the mind will be uplift to a higher realm of existence. With no or less mindfulness, the mind will be dragged down to a lower realm of existence. So keep practicing mindfulness all the time, from the time you get up to the time you go to sleep.
“Dhamma in English, Dec 11, 2022.”
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Student: If someone is feeling sad, would that be considered reaping the fruits of past kamma or would that be considered that the person is creating new kamma for the future?
Than Ajahn: Sometimes they're just the present kamma. If you are experiencing something now, sometimes it might be caused by your past kamma, or it might be caused by your present kamma.
When you start to have cravings and you feel bad then this is your present kamma. If you stop your craving then your bad feeling will disappear. So you can create good karma by meditation, by developing mindfulness—this is considered as good karma. Try to be mindful. Stop your mind from thinking. Then your mind cannot create any kamma when you stop thinking then kamma stops temporarily.
Student: I observed that too. When I'm very focused on my tasks or my work then there's no time for the mind to run about. But when the mind is allowed to run about, it starts making troubles and creating frustration.
Than Ajahn: Yes, most of your problems are arising from your thoughts, your thinking. If you can stop thinking then a lot of your problem will disappear. When you feel bad, try to stop thinking by chanting or reciting a mantra then eventually that bad feeling would disappear.
Student: Okay. Thank you Ajahn.
“Dhamma in English, Dec 6, 2022.”
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Question: Today, more than any other time, people have access to the Dhamma, they listen to Dhamma sermons and read the Dhamma. But still, depression rates are high, people lead stressful lives. What is the reason? Why do they fail to put what they read or hear into practice? Where have they gone wrong?
Than Ajahn: First of all we have to question these statistics. When the statistics say that people get depression, do they all read the Dhamma books or not? Maybe this is not the case.
If you really read the Dhamma, study the Dhamma and practice the Dhamma then you will not get depression. I guarantee you.
So people who get depression usually don’t read the Dhamma, they don’t practise and study the Dhamma.
There might be some who read the Dhamma, but they don’t practise it. Then they can also get depression.
But if you practise, read, and study the Dhamma, and when you practice the Dhamma successfully, you will not get depression.
So sometimes when you read the statistics you need to read the details as well. When the statistics say that people become depressed, are they all Dhamma students, Dhamma practitioners or just anybody?
For me, if you are a Dhamma student or a Dhamma practitioner and if you practise the Dhamma regularly,
I promise you that you won’t get any depression.
“Dhamma in English, Oct 30, 2022.”
By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
YouTube: Dhamma in English.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g
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