The Teachings of Ajahn Suchart_
21 September 2023
"The real happiness is a mind that is calm and peaceful."
Question: “If one has family responsibilities, how can one have a proper retreat while still having to do his duty towards his family? Can these two be done together?”
Than Ajahn: “When you first start, you might not be able to do it completely. You might have to do it partially. You do it on your spare time, like going for retreat on your days off when you’re free from your work. You use that time to be alone, rather than doing the normal things that you used to do on your days off.
For example, if you usually go to watch a movie, or go for shopping on your day off, you cut down these activities. You go find a quiet place to meditate. You have to switch off your usual way of finding pleasure.
Normally, on your days off, you find pleasure by using your senses. You want to stop those kinds of pleasure and look for a different kind of pleasure, the pleasure from meditation.
You have to start from the free time you have.
You use that free time to calm the mind, stopping the mind so that the mind can become peaceful and content.
Once you could do this, then you’ll find more inspiration to find more time to do it. So, you start by cutting down the activities that you feel you don’t really have to do. As you move along, you will find more time that you can cut down in terms of the path for acquiring material things. When you have happiness and contentment, you’ll find that you don’t need much.
You don’t need to have so much money. You don’t need to have so many things to make you happy. This is because you’ve found a different way of making yourself happy.
You will reduce your acquisition for material things, your desire for money or other material things. Then, you can reduce the amount of work that you need to do.
Gradually you can reduce everything, and then it will allow you to have more time to be alone and to practice, to calm your mind.
The Buddha has said that the real happiness is a mind that is calm and peaceful. That is real contentment.
Once you can calm your mind, make your mind peaceful, you’ll be happy and content. You don’t need anything.
You don’t need to see a movie. You don’t need to go out to a party. At that point, you don’t even need to have a wife. You live as a hermit, live as a monk.”
Dhamma for the Asking,
Layperson from England, Dec 15, 2017.
By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
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