The Teachings of Ajahn Suchart.
30 August 2023
“You should, therefore, listen with mindfulness, with a sense of wisdom, for the happiness and success that will follow.”
“In the Dhamma way, the Buddha taught us: to simply listen, only so that we know or are aware, but not to burden ourselves. That is, don’t let your ego get carried away and upset you. Only let your mind—the perceiver—be aware. Your mind is the perceiver; it is not you or your self.
Simply be aware and then let go.
Simply acknowledge that a sound arises and dissipates. This is how to be aware by the definition of Dhamma—being aware with a sense of wisdom.
To be aware with a sense of delusion is to be aware with a sense of self, that is, your ego takes a lead: if it is a praise, then you get elated. If it is a criticism, then you get angry.
This is all because of being under the influence of delusion while listening.
You let your ego take charge and when you let that happen, what follows is dukkha—the sense of discontent and dis-ease.
But if you don’t let your ego get in the way and stick to the Dhamma, or the truth—knowing that your mind is not you or your self, but solely a perceiver—you’ll just listen to whatever other people say. It is like this microphone: it receives and transmits whatever is being said to an amplifier, and then to a speaker. The microphone, itself, never complains nor comments whether what being said is good or bad. It only processes the sound and then lets go. The microphone receives and transmits the sound, letting it pass and dissipate.
All the sounds that we hear and listen to are just the same. It doesn't matter who or how they may say it. Once uttered—being processed through your ears and acknowledged by your mind, what has been said is simply gone. If you’re mindful and wise, you’ll let it go and not burden yourself with it. Whether it is a praise or criticism, you’ll just be aware that it is sounds that arise, exist, and then cease to be. That’s all there is to it. If you’d like to pay attention to the content of what is being said, you’ll listen to it with discretion and wisdom to simply discern whether what they say is true or not. If it is true and beneficial, then use it for further good.
Just like the Dhamma that we’ve listened to today, you should use your wisdom to consider what you’ve heard and see whether it is beneficial to you or not. If it is not, then just let it in one ear and out the other. If it is, then contemplating it and putting it to use will benefit you. This is how to listen with discretion—under the guidance of mindfulness, wisdom, and Dhamma, and not under the influence of emotions.
To listen with emotions—letting your ego take charge—you’ll get upset immediately because what is being said offends your ego, even though what someone says may be something beneficial, worthwhile, and true. For example, they may criticise you for misbehaving—being lazy, drinking, and gambling. You don’t see that they’re cautioning you and pointing you towards the right direction. Having your drawbacks pointed out can help you improve yourself if you acknowledge that it is true. You can turn your laziness into diligence and stop drinking and gambling, which will benefit you.
You should, therefore, listen with mindfulness, with a sense of wisdom, for the happiness and success that will follow. I would like to end this talk, as it seems appropriate, considering the time.”
“Essential Teachings”
By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g
No comments:
Post a Comment