The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

3 April 2024

Q:  I really like Ajivatthamaka sīla (the four precepts from the 5-precepts plus 3 expansion precepts of the fourth precept and end with right livelihood) which is commonly practice in some Burmese groups and some people add mettā as the ninth precept.

Than Ajahn:  I think you should stick to the Buddha's teachings. Don't add or subtract his teachings. His teachings are complete and perfect. 

Svākkhāto Bhagavatā Dhammo. The teachings are all well thought by the Blessed One. No need to add or subtract anything from the teachings. 

They are complete and perfect. What is lacking is your practice, to follow the practice completely and wholeheartedly. 

Don't worry about the social issues. 

This is the way of the world. It will happen regardless of when or where you are born. 

You will face this social issue because these are the issues of the defilements. You can’t stop it. You just have to let it be.  Everything is the natural phenomenon. The only thing you can do is for yourself. Extract yourself from this world. Rise above it. 

Leave this world alone. Don’t worry about this world because you can’t control the world. 

But you can control your defilements. You can stop your stress, your suffering. So do what you can, and don’t do what you cannot do because you’ll get frustrated if you do what you can’t do.

Don’t try to control things. Don't try to change things. Don't try to make things the way you want them to be. 

But change your mind from being restless to being peaceful and calm, from being engaging to being disengaging. If everybody in the world is disengaged then the world would be peaceful and happy. Our problem is we try to impose our will on other people.  

It’s better that you spend your time with meditation practice and leave the social issues alone. When you meditate, you’ll feel calm and happy, when you get involved with social issues, you’ll get agitated and restlessness so what do you want? Do you want peace and happiness or agitation and restlessness? 

Student:  I want peace and happiness but not only for myself. I want to be able to share it.

Than Ajahn:  Who else can give you happiness if it isn’t yourself? Yes (you can share it) if other people are willing to accept your charity but if people don’t want to accept it what are you going to do? Are you going to force it upon them? Go to Supreme Court? 

The Buddha would never go to the Supreme Court to ask the Supreme Court to apply the noble eightfold path to everybody. Would he do that if the Buddha is alive today? That’s the best way of living, the noble eightfold path. 

So you just walk this path and if anybody want to follow the path then you help them if you know how to help them otherwise there’s nothing else you can do. There is nothing better than this path so it’s better to stick to this path, the path of charity, morality and meditation. 

And consider that everything that is happening right now is all natural phenomena. People and things that are happening right now are all the work of nature. They are like the weather, things keep changing. 

Everything changes. People change. 

Opinions change. Whatever law people made today could change tomorrow because the laws are made by people.

Try to practice meditation and stay calm, peaceful and happy and then you can laugh at everything. 

Everything that’s going on in this world is like a show. Don’t get involve with the show, just watch the show and enjoy yourself. 

The show is created by nature. What’s going on - you, me and everything else - are part of the work of nature but due to our delusion we think that we are not part of nature, we think that we are ‘me,’ we are ‘the ego,’ we are people who can take control of things but we in reality we can’t take control of ourselves. 

You can’t control your body. Can you control your body? Can you stop it from getting old, getting sick or dying? So everything is the work of nature. Can you stop the rain? Can you stop the storm? You can’t stop your body from getting old, getting sick and dying. So why are they different? If the sun and the rain are work of nature, why not your body and your mind? They are all work of nature. 

It's your delusion. You separate your body and mind from the nature and think that you are not part of nature. 

You think you can control nature, you think you can control your body so people invent so many things to keep the body healthy and strong but nobody can find a way to stop the body from dying, from getting old or getting sick. It’s like no one can stop the snow, the storm, or the flooding. 

They come and go. These are all work of nature, so is with everything else like our body, our mind. That’s why the Buddha said, ‘Sabbe Dhamma Anattā.’ Everything is anatta (no self). 

If you can see this, then you just watch the show, watch nature shows itself like you watch the rain and the storm. What else can you do except watching them?  

This is the goal of our practice: to be able to just watch and let everything be. Then there will be no dukkha. As soon as you engage with things, you’ll get dukkha because sooner or later you will not be able to do what you want to do. 

This is something to reflect and to think about.

“Dhamma in English, Jul 4, 2023.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube: 

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

CONTROL YOUR MIND ~ by Ven Dr K Sri Dhammananda

CONTROL YOUR MIND
~ by Ven Dr K Sri Dhammananda

Man's mind influences his body profoundly. The mind has just as much potential to be a medication as it has to be a poison. When the mind is vicious, it can kill a being but when it is steady and diligent it can benefit others. 

When the mind is concentrated on right thoughts, and supported by right effort and understanding, the effect it produces is immense. A mind with pure and wholesome thoughts leads to healthy relaxed living.

The Buddha says: "No enemy can harm one so much as one's own thoughts of craving, thoughts of hate, thoughts of jalousy and so on".

A man who does not know how to adjust his mind according to circumstances is as if dead. Turn your mind inwards, and try to find pleasure within yourself.

It is only when the mind is controlled and properly directed that it becomes useful to its owner and society. An unruly mind is a liability both to its

owner and to others. All the havoc wrought in this world is the creation of men who have not learned the way of mind control, balance and poise.

Calmness is not weakness. A calm attitude at all times shows a man of culture. It is not too hard for one to be calm when things are favourable, but to be composed when things are wrong is hard indeed. It is this difficult quality that is worth achieving, for by exercing such calm and control, a man builds strength of character.

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31 October 2023

ADJUST OURSELVES ~ by Ven Dr K Sri Dhammananda

ADJUST OURSELVES
~ by Ven Dr K Sri Dhammananda

Customs and traditions are important bonds for the learning and sharing of human experience in any community. The dilemma we face in an ever changing world is whether to live with or break with the past. 

There will always be a "generation gap" between the old and the young because of different perceptions of changing circumstances and values. The old fear the young may lose their heritage and the young worry that an ancient past may become a stumbling block in modern living. Change must be considered carefully.

Popular culture creates momentary idols and folk heroes who portray images of conflicting lifestyles. Mass media helps to reinforce this and young mind are prone to accept everything they stand for. There may be political or social messages in such movements like the Hippie or Yuppie movements but it is vital for the young to have the wisdom of the old to separate the good from the bad. Time-tested and proven good old values do not change. Values like thrift, honesty, liberality, and hard work for dignified living remain fresh in any community.

In an Asian setting marriage and funeral customs and traditions are very important. 

The question is whether we should spend so much money and time to carry out these customs and traditions in the modern world. 

Are they really necessary? There is no better advice than what the Buddha gave in the Kalama Sutta:

"When you know in yourselves 'These ideas are unprofitable, liable to censure, condemned by the wise, being adopted and put into effect they lead to harm and suffering, then you should abandon them .... 

When you know yourselves 'These things are wholesome, blameless, commended by the wise, being adopted and put into effect they lead to welfare and happiness' then you should practise them and abide in them'.

Every man is a creature of the universe. So long as man is concerned with humanising society and the re-ordering of the world for the better, time will always bridge the gap between the young and the old. Worry and fear over the direction of change will lose their grip. The old only have to remember how their own parents had objected to certain modern ways of living prevalent at the time when they were young. Tolerance for differences on an issue is a virtue. An open attitude can only be a happy one.

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30 October 2023

Ajahn Mun : §6. The root instigator of the cycle of death and rebirth.

Ajahn Mun :
§6. The root instigator of the cycle of death and rebirth.

thitibhutam avijja-paccaya�sankhara... upadanam... bhavo... jati...

Each and every one of us born as a human being has a birthplace: we have our parents as our birthplace. So why did the Buddha formulate the teaching on sustained conditions only from the factor of unawareness onwards? What unawareness comes from, he didn't say. 

Unawareness has to have a mother and father just as we do, and we learn from the above line that thitibhutam is its mother and father. Thitibhutam refers to the primal mind. 

When the primal mind is imbued with delusion, there is a sustaining factor: the condition of unawareness. 

Once there is unawareness, it acts as the sustenance for the fashioning of sankhara, mental fashionings, together with the act of clinging to them, which gives rise to states of becoming and birth. In other words, these things will have to keep on arising and giving rise to each other continually. They are thus called sustained or sustaining conditions because they support and sustain one another.

Awareness and unawareness both come from thitibhutam. When thitibhutam is imbued with unawareness, it isn't wise to its conditions; but when it is imbued with awareness, it realizes its conditions for what they really are. This is how the matter appears when considered with the clear insight leading to emergence (vutthana-gamini vipassana).

To summarize: Thitibhutam is the primal instigator of the cycle of death and rebirth. 

Thus it is called the root source of the three (see § 12). 

When we are to cut the cycle of death and rebirth so that it disconnects and vanishes into nothingness, we have to train the primal instigator to develop awareness, alert to all conditions for what they really are. 

It will then recover from its delusion and never give rise to any conditions again. Thitibhutam, the root instigator, will stop spinning, and this will end our circling through the cycle of death and rebirth.

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29 October 2023

The Teachings of Venerable Ajahn Lee

The Teachings of Venerable Ajahn Lee

"So whether these categories apply directly to us in the way we practice as monks, or whether they apply only indirectly to us as laypeople— in terms of the things we prepare to give to monks— we have to be clean." (Ajaan Lee)

-:-:-:-

The fourth requisite is gilāna-bhesajja: medicine for curing disease. In the Vinaya, this is divided into four sorts, all of which come under our phrase, “medicine for curing disease.” For the monks, the Vinaya sets rules that don’t apply to laypeople. It divides medicine into four types that are important to know, so I’d like to go into some detail here. 

The things that we eat and swallow come under these four headings: 

1. Yāva-kālika, to be eaten in the right time; 

2. Yāma-kālika, to be eaten that day; 

3. Sattāha-kālika, to be eaten within seven days; and 

4. Yāva-jīvika, to be eaten as long as one’s life.

The food that comes under yāva-kālika: Starting with the eight precepts, you can’t eat that food after noon at all. You can eat it only from the dawn of that day until noon. 

This is the lifespan of food for people who observe these precepts. In simple terms, it covers the food that we (i.e. the monks) eat.

The second type, yāma-kālika, is what you can drink only for the span of that day. This covers juice drinks. 

When fresh juice is made in the morning, you can drink it only until dawn of the next day. You can drink it from this morning through this night. When the sky lightens again, you can’t drink it any more. When a monk has received it to his hand, he can drink it only for this period. 

Once it’s made from the fruit and has come to his hand—even if it hasn’t come to his hand on that day, he can’t eat it the next day, because it tends to spoil. It’ll make him sick. 

This is called yāma-kālika, the juice drinks that are appropriate for contemplatives.

Sattāha-kālika, seven-day medicine: This covers ghee, butter, oil, honey, and sugar. 

Once a monk has received any of these, he has to eat them within seven days. Past seven days, he has to throw them away, or if he doesn’t throw them away, he has to give them to a layperson…

Yāva-jīvika: Medicine that comes under this category, once it’s been handed to a monk, is something he should store well, and he can keep on taking it until it’s gone—no matter how many days it takes. Once there’s no more left, that’s the end of its lifespan. If there’s still some left, you can keep on taking it. For example, things like quinine, aspirin, root medicines that are not mixed with any food.

Foods and medicines, taken together, all fall under these four categories, because they’re all things to be consumed.

So whether these categories apply directly to us in the way we practice as monks, or whether they apply only indirectly to us as laypeople—in terms of the things we prepare to give to monks—we have to be clean. If we’re not clean, it carries a blemish—a blemish for those who prepare it, a blemish for those who consume it. All of this comes under the area of higher conduct.

~~~~~~~

From Starting Out Small: A Collection of Talks for Beginning Meditators, by Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo. Translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. 

https://www.dhammatalks.org/ebook_index.html#StartingOutSmall

Photo credit: Disciples of Than Phaw Lee Dhammadharo, Wat Asokaram.

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28 October 2023

Luang Phor Kuay Chutinataro

Luang Phor Kuay Chutinataro

Today the 2nd of November is Luang Phor Kuay’s birthday. For brothers and sisters who are followers of Luang Phor, please take the time to pay your respects to him. 

“I ask that all of my luksits no matter where they are from, that they should not go without, to not be in want, to not have difficulty, to not be poor, to not be lesser people, to not be worse off than others.”

~ Luang Phor Kuay Chutinataro

Many people think that the words above are a blessing from Luang Phor Kuay for his disciples to become rich. But actually this sentence is a Dhamma riddle from Luang Phor. 

To “not go without or not miss out” means to know how to use resources and opportunities properly, don’t end up regretting and missing out. 

To “not be in want” means to know what is appropriate, to have self-control, to know the right level of extravagance or lavishness, not to overdo it and end up in want of things. 

To “not have difficulty” means to know how to live a plain, humble and simple life, not to be so fussy about conditions that you give yourself many difficulties and problems. 

To “not be poor” means to appreciate and be grateful for whatever you already have, even if it is little. 

To “not be lesser people” means to keep the precepts, to practice the Dhamma, not to let your heart be filled with lesser things. 

To “not be worse off than others” means to have a big heart, don’t be narrow and small-minded, to know how to be generous, kind and helpful. 

Luang Phor Kuay Chutinataro

Wat Kositaram, Chainat Province

Cr. Saranwiki 

Photo cr. https://luangporguay.com/

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27 October 2023

A great sharing by sayadaw Ashin Asabhacara.

A great sharing by sayadaw Ashin Asabhacara. 

Maha sadhu venerable sir for such inspiring sharing. 

Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu! 🙏🙏🙏

The relationship between deities (devas) and humans 

          *****************

The "gods" are holding meeting every day. They put an agenda regarding about the human beings World.

People in the world;

What do you do?

The Deva who guards in your life  to present,

All merit there In "good deeds". The highest Vipassana meditation those who are brave enough to do it.

Land guardian spirit

Water guardian spirit

Forest guardian spirit

Various spirits, Very much to take care of you.

If the spirit does not give protection the celestial kings were punished that one.

For example,

Tomorrow - something about the world and the planet after hitting, suppose the world will be destroyed.

Let's say, the day the world will end. If a person dares to practice the dhamma(Satipatthana vipassana meditation) that says he must be a noble(Arahant) that day. In this situation, Devas and Brahmas have to hold that event delaying to another day.

The world can not be destroyed as long as a person(Yogi) doesn't  yet reach a noble(Arahant) hood.

During the Buddha's era, a monk while striving for enlightenment, the time came when he would soon become an arahant. 

After noon, if he became an arahant, he would not have his lunch. The sun is stopped by the Deva who guardian of the sun, he took care of the monk become an Arahant, and only after lunch he released the sun.

Regardless of whether he is a noble person or not,

Even if Vipassana meditation is really practiced, Bumattha devatā (deities who guardian of the Earth) and Rukkhattha devata(deities who guardian of the trees , forest) near you.

Village Guardian Spirits, Various guardian spirits can protect you and save you.

If you do other good deeds, you will be protected.  However, you have to share the merits to devas and if they received it they will protect you very well.

If another spirit hears it, it will take care of you, but that spirit can't keep it forever wherever you go.

For those who strive for Vipassana insight meditation, the gods in the world will protect you wherever you go.

What does your conscience want, for example?

If it is difficult to get food, the Deva - spirits will take care of you until the food is brought to you.

Ven, Dr. Nandamalabhivamsa

Translated by

Sayadaw Asabhacara

26 October 2023

Train yourself to be mindful of all six senses, seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, body feeling and thought. (Thought, as well as everything that arises in the mind is sensation).

Train yourself to be mindful of all six senses, seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, body feeling and thought. (Thought, as well as everything that arises in the mind is sensation).

This mental consciousness is not a being. You are not creating it. It is happening because of the causes and conditions that you must have been able to observe by now.

Consciousness is arising and passing away so quickly that we think that it’s always there, because it is the same type of consciousness.

It is not the same consciousness, it’s the same type, of consciousness.

The two things very different.

After you practice for a long time and you become more and more mindful you can see a gap in between. 

You don’t experience solidity any more.

The samadhi required to look at the gross object, and the samadhi required to look at the subtle object is not the same.

By trying to stay with the subtle object the level of samadhi increases. And only when you look at more and more subtle objects, only when it gets very subtle, you get closer to paramattha. Before that, you are with lots of concepts yet.

In daily activities practice, look and watch the mind, don’t follow it. Look into it, watch what its doing, what’s happening in the mind and don’t force anything.

-  Shwe O Min Sayadaw

25 October 2023

The Method to Declare Himself As the Stream-Enterer, IF He so Wish

The Method to Declare Himself As the Stream-Enterer, IF He so Wish

“Householder, when a noble disciple has eliminated five perils and enmities, possesses the four factors of stream-entry, and has clearly seen and thoroughly penetrated with wisdom the noble method, he might, if he so wished, declare of himself:

 ‘I am one finished with hell, the animal realm, and the sphere of afflicted spirits; finished with the plane of misery, the bad destination, the lower world; I am a stream-enterer, no longer subject to [rebirth in] the lower world, fixed in destiny, heading for enlightenment.’

 “What are the five perils and enmities that have been eliminated?

 (1) Householder, one who destroys life, with the destruction of life as condition, creates peril and enmity pertaining to the present life and peril and enmity pertaining to future lives, and he also experiences mental pain and dejection. One who abstains from the destruction of life does not create such peril and enmity pertaining to the present life or such peril and enmity pertaining to future lives, nor does he experience mental pain and dejection. For one who abstains from the destruction of life, that peril and that enmity has thus been eliminated.

 (2) “One who takes what is not given, with taking what is not given as condition, creates peril and enmity pertaining to the present life and peril and enmity pertaining to the future lives, and he also experiences mental pain and dejection. One who abstains from taking what is not given does not create such peril and enmity pertaining to the present life or such peril and enmity pertaining to future lives, nor does he experience mental pain and dejection. For one who abstains from taking what is not given, that peril and enmity has thus been eliminated.

  (3) One who engages in sexual misconduct, with sexual misconduct as condition, creates peril and enmity pertaining to the present life and peril and enmity pertaining to future lives, and he also experiences mental pain and dejection. One who abstains from sexual misconduct does not create such peril and enmity pertaining to the present life or such peril and enmity pertaining to future lives, nor does he experience mental pain and dejection. For one who abstains from sexual misconduct, that peril and enmity has thus been eliminated.

(4) One who speaks falsely, with false speech as condition, creates peril and enmity pertaining to the present life and peril and enmity pertaining to future lives, and he also experiences mental pain and dejection. One who abstains from false speech does not create such peril and enmity pertaining to the present life or such peril and enmity pertaining to future lives, nor does he experience mental pain and dejection. For one who abstains from false speech, that peril and enmity has thus been eliminated.

(5) One who indulges in liquor, wine, and intoxicants, the basis for heedlessness, with indulgence in liquor, wine, and intoxicants as condition, creates peril and enmity pertaining to the present life and peril and enmity pertaining to the future lives, and he also experiences mental pain and dejection. One who abstains from liquor, wine, and intoxicants, the basis for heedlessness, does not create such peril and enmity pertaining to the present life or such peril and enmity pertaining to future lives, nor does he experience mental pain and dejection. For one who abstains from liquor, wine, and intoxicants, the basis for heedlessness, that peril and enmity has thus been eliminated.

“These are the five perils and enmities that have been eliminated.

“And what are the four factors of stream-entry that he possesses?

(1) Here, householder, a noble disciple possesses unwavering confidence in the Buddha thus: ‘The Blessed One is an arahant, perfectly enlightened, accomplished in true knowledge and conduct, fortunate, knower of the world, unsurpassed trainer of persons to be tamed, teacher of devas and humans, the Enlightened One, the Blessed One.’

(2) He possesses unwavering confidence in the Dhamma thus: ‘The Dhamma is well expounded by the Blessed One, directly visible, immediate, inviting one to come and see, applicable, to be personally experienced by the wise.’

(3) He possesses unwavering confidence in the Saṅgha thus: ‘The Saṅgha of the Blessed One’s disciples is practicing the good way, practicing the straight way, practicing the true way, practicing the proper way; that is, the four pairs of persons, the eight types of individuals this Saṅgha of the Blesses One’s disciples is worthy of gifts, worthy of hospitality, worthy of offerings, worthy of reverential salutation, the unsurpassed field of merit for the world.’

(4) He possesses the virtuous behavior loved by the noble ones, unbroken, flawless, unblemished, unblotched, freeing, praised by the wise, ungrasped, leading to concentration. These are the four factors of stream-entry that he possesses.

“And what is the noble method that he has clearly seen and thoroughly penetrated with wisdom? Here, householder, the noble disciple reflects thus:

‘When this exists, that comes to be;

 With the arising of this, that arises.

 When this does not exist, that does not come to be;

 With the cessation of this, that ceases.

That is, with ignorance as condition, volitional activities [come to be]; with volitional activities as condition, consciousness; with consciousness as condition, name-and-form; with name-and-form as condition, the six sense bases; with the six sense bases as condition, contact; with contact as condition, feeling; with feeling as condition, craving; with craving as condition, clinging; with clinging as condition, existence; with existence as condition, birth; with birth as condition, old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, dejection, and anguish come to be. Such is the origin of this whole mass of suffering.

“’But with the remainderless fading away and cessation of ignorance comes cessation of volitional activities; with the cessation of volitional activities, cessation of consciousness; with the cessation of consciousness, cessation of name-and-form, with the cessation of name-and-form, cessation of the six sense bases; with the cessation of the six sense bases, cessation of contact; with the cessation of contact, cessation of feeling; with the cessation of feeling, cessation of craving; with the cessation of craving, cessation of clinging; with the cessation of clinging, cessation of existence; with the cessation of existence, cessation of birth; with the cessation of birth, old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, dejection, and anguish cease. Such is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering.’

“This is the noble method that he has clearly seen and thoroughly penetrated with wisdom.

“Householder, when a noble disciple has eliminated these five perils and enmities, and he possesses these four factors of stream-entry, and he has clearly seen and thoroughly penetrated with wisdom this noble method, he might, if he so wished, declare of himself: ‘I am one finished with hell, the animal realm, and the sphere of afflicted spirits; finished with the plane of misery, the bad destination, the lower world; I am a stream-enterer, no longer subject to [rebirth in] the lower world, fixed in destiny, heading for enlightenment.’”

Bhikkhu Bodhi (trans.) (2012) 

The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha: a Translation of the Aṅguttara Nikāya. 

Boston: Wisdom Publications. ISBN 978-1-61429-040-7

24 October 2023

Daily Meditation on Death

Daily Meditation on Death

AT NIGHT WHEN YOU CAN drop the activities of the day, you should engage in a series of meditative contemplations similar to these:

“All right, soon I’m going to fall asleep. How many people have I heard about who went to sleep and never woke up? When I lay my head down on my pillow, I may not wake up again. 

Death is not that complicated. It is simply a matter of not being able to take in one more breath. Then I am dead. That could happen to me tonight in my sleep.”

Then critically and honestly look at your life and think, “If I die tonight in my sleep, what did I do with my day? What have I done with my life? Have I been of benefit or have I caused harm?” Sometimes it is not so pleasant to see how self-centered and selfish you have been, how focused on “me, my, mine.”

Whenever this has been the case, you have created karma that ultimately propels the mind in a difficult direction at the time of death. It is like forward motion. 

If you put something into motion, it continues to go that way. If your mind has been moving along a negative course, when you die it continues exactly the way it has been going all along.

So each night you should assess the general and specific direction of your life. You must recognize where you have indulged in the faults of your mind and harmed others. This negative karma must be purified, which means you must confess your faults before the wisdom being who is your object of spiritual commitment and devotion. You should take refuge in a perfect wisdom being, without any fault, the absolute expression of enlightened mind.

Begin by confessing, “I did it again. I have hurt others. 

I have caused harm. I have been wrong. I know better, but mistakenly I have done it again.” Then accept absolution from whomever you know to be a perfect wisdom being. If, for example, you have faith in Jesus as your object of wisdom, visualize that blessings descend from him in the form of light or nectar and actually wash away your accumulation of nonvirtuous karma and negative mental habits.

Then, with the wisdom being as your witness, reaffirm your intention to benefit other beings by vowing, “I will help others in whatever way I can until I truly have the enlightened strength to bring them perfect bliss and happiness.”

As important as it is to recognize your mistakes, it is equally important to recognize where you have been kind and where your activities of body, speech, and mind have been of benefit.

The virtue of such activities creates merit that you dedicate generously with a pure, selfless heart to the immediate and ultimate benefit of all beings: “By the power of this dedication may each being find happiness and may all without exception attain the qualities of their intrinsic buddha nature.”

With this, rest in the thought: “I have purified my karma. I have committed myself to selfless work for the benefit of others. I have dedicated my accumulation of merit to their happiness. Now if I die tonight I will have no regrets.”

Having reflected on the day in this way, meditate on your own death. Imagine that you are really going to die, that you actually enter death’s passage and there is no way back. 

Imagine vividly different scenarios—an airplane crash, an automobile accident, terminal illness, stabbing by a mugger. Use your power of mind to make the event immediate and real. Any scenario you choose has some possibility, because you really do not know where and when your death might occur.

People often express fear about this kind of meditation and say, “If I think this way, maybe it will happen to me.” But think of all the things that have ever crossed your mind—you would not have time in an eon for that many things to happen to you. Thinking about death is not going to make it happen, but it does prepare your mind for the death experience. So, courageously, imagine the details of your death as clearly as possible:

“There is a stabbing pain in my chest. It’s my heart! I’m having a heart attack!

23 October 2023

Making merit in the name of a deceased

Making merit in the name of a deceased

The ceremony of making merit in the name of a deceased is one way of showing appreciation for our benefactors. Even many years after they have passed away, their children and relatives still take their goodness to heart and express their appreciation with an annual act of almsgiving, dedicating any merits arising from the occasion in their memory. This is one way of acknowledging their goodness, enabling their memory and worthiness to live on in the hearts of their children and relatives. It is also an opportunity for the sponsors to develop skillful qualities. 

    In the Buddhist religion it is said that when people perform meritorious actions in the name of a deceased, they should make their minds calm and clear. When the mind is so cleared and composed, that act of dedicating merit is said to be most efficacious. Looking at it in one way, the act of merit-making seems to be done simply for the sake of the deceased, but if we look more closely we will see that really the results arise within ourselves. When we are performing an act of merit to be dedicated to another, we must first calm and clear our own minds, and then consciously dedicate the fruits of our good actions. 

When the mind is so established, our dedication of merit is most thorough and fruitful. Merit or goodness must first arise within our own heart before it can be dedicated to another.

By helping oneself one helps others 

Therefore, in the practice of Dhamma, even if one specifically looks to the benefit of other beings, the results that are most assured are those that arise within oneself. Thus it is said that by helping oneself one helps others, and by helping others one helps oneself. 

    There is an analogy regarding this related by the Buddha in the story of the two acrobats. One form of acrobatics performed in the Buddha's time involved the use of a long bamboo pole, which was balanced on the head and shoulders of one acrobat, while another acrobat balanced himself on top of the pole. They would perform various tricks and balancing acts in this way. Two of these acrobats, master and apprentice, were traveling around the country performing their art. 

    One day the master said, "Now you keep your eye on me, and I'll keep my eye on you and so keep you from falling off." 

    The apprentice replied, "Oh, no, master. 

You should look after yourself while I look after myself. In this way we can perform our act and earn a living in safety." 

    The meaning of the story is: in looking after yourself you also look after others, and by looking after others you also look after yourself. In practicing the Dhamma we are cultivating virtue, which first arises in ourselves. That virtue can then extend to others, even without our knowing about it. 

Specifically, when practicing Dhamma we are cultivating morality ( sila ), concentration ( samadhi ) and wisdom ( pañña ). When our moral conduct is pure we don't harm others. 

This is one result of Dhamma practice. 

Although we have developed that virtue within ourselves, its good effects extend to others in that we no longer present any danger to them. Again, if we help others, for example by exercising forbearance ( khanti ), not harming others through anger, but exercising metta , goodwill, and karuna , compassion, we are practicing Dhamma, the fruit of which also arises within ourselves. 

Thus it is said that looking after ourselves we look after others, and when looking after others we look after ourselves. The practice of Dhamma is co-productive in that its effects extend to all beings.

A medicine for treating the ills of life 

Dhamma, when well practiced, is like a medicine for treating the ills of life, enabling us to live our lives well. The Buddha, as the proclaimer of the Dhamma, is like a skillful doctor who prescribed particular medicines for particular illnesses. If a doctor is not skillful, even though he may have good medicine he may prescribe it wrongly. His treatment will then not be very effective. A skillful doctor will be very effective in treating his patients, because he thoroughly understands the properties of the various medicines. 

    Sometimes we hear it said, "Buddhism has been with us for thousands of years, and yet we still see people fighting and in conflict. 

Evil still abounds. Buddhism seems incapable of dealing with it, it's useless. We may as well dispense with it." Some people see it like this. 

    Do you think this is true? They say that even though we've had this Buddhist religion for so many years, people are still corrupt, they still live in conflict. Religion seems powerless to stop these things. We can see no concrete results from religion at all. Better to do away with it. 

    To these people I say, "Well, the science of medicine has been with us for many thousands of years. 

Medicine is plentiful and there have been doctors curing illnesses throughout the ages, for thousands, even tens of thousands, of years. And yet we see disease and illness still abound. If what you say is true then we must also say that the science of medicine is redundant, we may as well throw that out, too." 

    This leads us to consider that this body of ours is by nature a breeding ground for illness, and is subject to pain and aging. We have to procure medicines and exercise the body in order to maintain our strength and live as free of illness and pain as we can. 

    Therefore the science of medicine, and the profession of doctor, are still very valuable things. As long as there are people in the world there will be pain and disease, so there must also be treatment for them. 

Similarly, in regard to religion, as long as there are people in the world there is also "mind". Like the body, the mind can be weakened and damaged. Problems arise in the mind and cause discontent. The quality that disturbs the mind is what we call in Buddhism dukkha (suffering). As long as there are people living in this world there will be suffering, so we must also have a treatment for it. When one person is cured there are still countless others to follow. 

    Thus religion can be compared to the science of medicine, and the Buddha to a great doctor. Having cured many people in his own time, he also left us his teaching so that we who follow after him can treat our own illnesses. 

    In our lives we have both body and mind. 

As for the body, the doctors usually deal with its illnesses. It is the Dhamma, however, that we must use for dealing with our lives as a whole, particularly the mind. What is the disease that incessantly hounds the mind? It is the disease of defilements ( kilesa ). 

Whenever greed, hatred or delusion arise within the mind they cause discontent and suffering to arise. 

Such a mind can be called an ill or diseased mind. When diseases such as greed arise, they stifle and oppress the mind, causing it to become obsessed with some object or other. The mind is not spacious or clear. When hatred arises, it heats and agitates the mind. This is another disease that unsettles the mind, as do all other kinds of defilements.

The healthy mind should have the qualities of lightness, radiance, clarity and calm. 

Whenever defilements arise, these qualities disappear. Clarity becomes murkiness, calm changes to excitement and agitation, the quality of lightness gives way to oppression and conflict. These are the symptoms of the diseases of the mind, which are all caused by defilements. So we say that defilements are a disease which must be treated. 

    In this regard the Buddha's teaching is like a handbook of medicines. Some of the medicines are for specific illnesses. The cultivation of goodwill, for example, is for treating the disease of anger. Apart from goodwill, which acts like a refreshing, cool shower on the mind when it is oppressed and disturbed, there is also patient endurance to aid in driving annoyance and irritation from the mind, or karuna , compassion, for counteracting destructive thoughts, or pañña , wisdom, for brightening the mind and making it clear and light. 

    There are many different types of Dhamma medicine, and they must be used appropriately. One who aspires to skillfulness in using these medicines should follow the example of the Buddha, whom we revere as the greatest "Dhamma Doctor," in that he prescribed medicines with the greatest proficiency. If a teacher is unable to use these medicines skillfully, his teaching may become so much hot air. Anybody listening to it would have to rely on his own wisdom to choose the teachings appropriate to his needs, and if he wasn't skillful he might not obtain much benefit from the teaching.

22 October 2023

The Story of Theri Kisagotami who attained Arahant

The Story of Theri Kisagotami who attained Arahant

Kisagotami was the daughter of a rich man from Savatthi. she was known as Kisagotami because of her slim body. Kisagotami was married to a rich young man and a son was born to them. 

The boy died when he was just a toddler and Kisagotami was stricken with grief. Carrying the dead body of her son, she went about asking for medicine that would restore her son to life from everyone she happened to meet. People began to think that she had gone mad.

But a wise man seeing her condition thought that he should be of some help to her. So, he said to her, "The Buddha is the person you should approach, he has the medicine you want; go to him" 

Thus, she went to the Buddha and asked him to give her the medicine that would restore her dead son to life. 

The Buddha told her to get some mustard seeds from a house where there had been no death. 

Carrying her dead child in her bosom. 

Kisagotami went from house to house, with the request for some mustard seeds. 

Everyone was willing to help her, but she could not find a single house where death had not occurred. 

Then, she realized that hers was not the only family that had faced death and that there were more people dead than living.  As soon as she realized this, her attitude towards her dead son changed; she was no longer attached to the dead body of her son. She left the corpse in the jungle and returned to the Buddha and reported that she could find no house where death had not occurred. 

Then the Buddha said, "Gotami, you thought that you were the only one who had lost a Son. As you have now realized, death comes to all beings; before their desires are satiated death takes them away." 

On hearing this, Kisagotami fully realized the impermanence, unsatisfactoriness and insubstantiality of the aggregates and attained Sodaban Fruition.

Soon afterwards, Kisagotami became a Bhikkhuni. 

One day, as she was lighting the lamps she saw the flames flaring up and dying out, and suddenly she clearly perceived the arising and the perishing of beings. 

The Buddha, through supernormal power, saw her from his monastery, and sent forth his radiance and appeared to her in person. 

Kisagotami was told to continue meditating on the impermanent nature of all beings and to strive hard to realize Nirvana.

 Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

"The person who finds the pathway to end the whole suffering

lives his life for only 1 day

is more auspicious than

100 years living a life of a person who cannot find this pathway "

The Buddha Gotam 

โย จ วสฺสสตํ ชีเว อปสฺสํ อมตํ ปทํ 

เอกาหํ ชีวิตํ เสยฺโย ปสฺสโต อมตํ ปทํ 

ผู้พบทางอมตะ มีชีวิตอยู่วันเดียว 

ประเสริฐกว่าชีวิตตั้งร้อยปี ของผู้ไม่พบ

At the end of this teaching, Kisagotami attained Arahant.

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21 October 2023

The Karma of Mindfulness.

The Karma of Mindfulness.

“Now, the Pāli word for “clinging,” upādāna, can also mean feeding. What you begin to realize as your understanding of meditation grows more subtle is that you not only feed on your present experience, using the activities of the aggregates, but you are also feeding on the activities that you do to shape that experience. In fact, that’s where your sense of your self is most centered. You feed not just on food but also on the way you feed. 

You cling to the way you feed, and you identify yourself strongly around it.

Once this point comes into focus in your meditation, you can begin to take the clinging apart. You begin to see that no matter how skillfully you shape your present experience, you’re never finished. You have to keep doing it again and again. This may not be disturbing at the beginning, especially as you’re gaining mastery over the concentration, but at some point there comes the realization that this is becoming burdensome. The work will never end. Even though your mind can gain good states of concentration, with a sense of ease, a sense of pleasure that causes no harm, it’s not good enough. You want something better than that.

This is when you turn in to look more deeply, and in particular at the act of fabrication. You see that it’s composed of acts of intention and attention—and because the mind is growing more and more quiet, you can now see very subtle acts of intention and attention. 

Your attention is always directed to what to do next, what to do next, what to do next, what to do next. Your intention at that point is to find something that goes beyond this. And there comes a point when you realize that your choices come down to very simple ones: either to stay here where you’re focused or to go focus someplace else. But you also see that either choice will involve stress.

At that moment you begin to realize that there’s another choice, which is neither here nor there, and that you don’t have to keep asking the question, what to do, what to do. 

You abandon both attention and intention, and that’s the moment when things open up in the mind. This is where the first level of awakening can occur.

One of the first things you realize when you experience the result of this letting go is that the Buddha was right. 

There really is a dimension that can be experienced that’s deathless, totally outside of space and time. 

There’s no fabrication. None of the aggregates are there, and yet there’s still an awareness—beyond the senses, even the sense of the mind. When you return from that state, you realize that there was nothing you did to create it. This is the point that’s called the end of kamma.”

—Thanissaro Bhikkhu—

The Karma of Mindfulness

—🌹🌹🌹—

19 October 2023

Luang Pu Doo

Luang Pu Doo

In general, when the Kruba Ajaans pluksek (consecrate) sacred objects, they will use certain kathas which they prefer. For instance, most monks including Luang Phor Samruay, use kathas that invoke the Buddhaguna, Dhammaguna and Sangaguna (virtues of the Triple Gems). 

Luang Na Sai Yut, a Buddhist monk at Wat Sakae, whom Luang Pu Doo often asked to teach people who came to the temple to practice meditation, ever once mentioned that Luang Pu Si (See) of Wat Sakae was very perceptive in this matter. 

As long as you brought a sacred object to him, he would be able to tell which katha the original master used to consecrate this amulet. 

Luang Pu Si was a monk who lived at Wat Sakae and inherited the Phra Phrom wiccha from Ajaan Heng. He was senior to Luang Pu Doo but practiced differently. Nevertheless, Luang Pu Si had very strong powers himself.

One day, a devotee brought an amulet consecrated by Luang Phor Jamnian’s teacher, the revered Golden Mouth Monk Phor Than Klai. He inspected it for several days, but couldn’t figure out what katha Phor Than Klai used to bless this amulet.

In the end, Luang Pu Si came to the conclusion that Phor Than Klai didn’t use any katha or incantation, because he was a Golden Mouth Monk who hardly opened his mouth, but whatever he said would come true. He must have just told the amulet to become holy and thus it was done as he spoke. 

I think Luang Pu Si’s answer was probably correct as Luang Phor Jamnian mentioned that Phor Than Klai taught him how to consecrate amulets using the purity and emptiness of mind.

20 October 2023

The Eight wonderful & marvellous Qualities of the Dhamma & Discipline

The Eight wonderful & marvellous Qualities of the Dhamma & Discipline

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The Simile of the Ocean 🏝

On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Verañjā, at the foot of Naḷeru’s nimba tree. 

There Pahārāda, a chief of the asuras, approached the Blessed One, and having paid homage to him, he stood to one side. 

The Blessed One then spoke to Pahārāda thus:

“I suppose, Pahārāda, the asuras find delight in the great ocean.”

“They do, Lord.”

“Now, Pahārāda, how many wonderful and marvellous qualities do the asuras again and again perceive in the great ocean so that they take delight in it?” 

“There are, Lord, eight wonderful and marvellous qualities which the asuras again and again perceive in the great ocean by reason of which they take delight in it. 

These are the eight:

(1) The great ocean, Lord, slopes away gradually, falls gradually, inclines gradually, not in an abrupt way like a precipice. This is the first wonderful and marvellous quality that the asuras perceive in the great ocean by reason of which they take delight in it.

(2) The great ocean is stable and does not overflow its boundaries. This is the second wonderful and marvellous quality….

(3) The great ocean does not tolerate a dead body, a corpse; if there is a dead body in it, the great ocean will quickly carry it to the shore and cast it on to the land. 

This is the third wonderful and marvellous quality….

(4) When those mighty rivers—the Ganges, the Yamunā, the Aciravatī, the Sarabhū and the Mahī—reach the great ocean, they lose their former names and designations and are reckoned just as the great ocean. 

This is the fourth wonderful and marvellous quality….

(5) Though all the streams of the world flow into the great ocean and rain falls into it from the sky, yet there appears neither a decrease nor an increase in the great ocean. This is the fifth wonderful and marvellous quality….

(6) The great ocean has but one taste, the taste of salt. 

This is the sixth wonderful and marvellous quality….

(7) In the great ocean, there are many and variegated precious substances: pearls, gems, lapis lazuli, shells, quartz, corals, silver, gold, rubies, and cats-eyes. This is the seventh wonderful and marvellous quality….

(8) The great ocean is the abode of vast creatures: the timi, the timiṅgala, the timirapiṅgala, asuras, nāgas, and gandhabbas. There are in the great ocean beings one hundred yojanas long, or two, three, four and five hundred yojanas long. This is the eighth wonderful and marvellous quality that the asuras perceive in the great ocean by reason of which they take delight in it.

“These, Lord, are the eight wonderful and marvellous qualities which the asuras again and again perceive in the great ocean by reason of which they take delight in it. I suppose, Lord, the monks take delight in this Dhamma and Discipline?”

“They do, Pahārāda.”

“But, Lord, how many wonderful and marvellous qualities do the monks again and again perceive in this Dhamma and Discipline by reason of which they take delight in it?”

“There are, Pahārāda, eight wonderful and marvellous qualities in this Dhamma and Discipline, which the monks again and again perceive by reason of which they take delight in it.

These are the eight:

(1) Just as the great ocean slopes away gradually, falls gradually, inclines gradually, not in an abrupt way like a precipice; even so, Pahārāda, is this Dhamma and Discipline: there is a gradual training, gradual practice, gradual progress; there is no penetration to final knowledge in an abrupt way. This is the first wonderful and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline, which the monks perceive by reason of which they take delight in it.

(2) Just as the great ocean is stable and does not overflow its boundaries; even so when I have made known a rule of training to my disciples, they will not transgress it even for life’s sake. 

This is the second wonderful and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline….

(3) Just as the great ocean will not tolerate a dead body, a corpse, but quickly carries it to the shore and casts it on to the land; even so the Sangha will not tolerate within its ranks a person who is immoral, of bad character, of impure and suspicious conduct, secretive in his actions, not a true ascetic but rather a sham-ascetic, not chaste but pretending to be chaste, rotten to the core, lustful and of vile behaviour. In such a case, the Sangha quickly assembles and expels such a person. 

Even if seated in the midst of the monks’ assembly, yet he is far from the Sangha and the Sangha is far from him. This is the third wonderful and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline….

(4) Just as the mighty rivers on reaching the great ocean lose their former names and designations and are just reckoned as the great ocean; even so, when members of the four castes —nobles, brahmins, commoners and menials—go forth from home into the homeless life in this Dhamma and Discipline proclaimed by the Tathāgata, they lose their former names and lineage and are reckoned only as ascetics following the Son of the Sakyans. 

This is the fourth wonderful and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline….

(5) Just as in the great ocean neither a decrease nor an increase will appear though all the streams of the world flow into it and rain falls into it from the sky; even so, even if many monks attain final Nibbāna in the Nibbāna element that is without residue left, there is no decrease or increase in the Nibbāna element that is without residue left. This is the fifth wonderful and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline….

(6) Just as the great ocean has but one taste, the taste of salt; even so this Dhamma and

Discipline has but one taste, the taste of liberation. This is the sixth wonderful and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline….

(7) Just as in the great ocean there are many and variegated precious substances such as pearls, gems, etc.; even so in this Dhamma and Discipline there is much that is precious. 

These are the precious things in it: the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of success, the five spiritual faculties, the five spiritual powers, the seven factors of enlightenment, the Noble Eightfold Path. This is the seventh wonderful and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline….

(8) Just as the great ocean is the abode of vast creatures; even so is this Dhamma and Discipline the domain of great beings: the stream-enterer and one practising for the realization of the fruit of stream-entry; the once-returner and one practising for the realization of the fruit of once-returning; the non-returner and one practising for the realization of the fruit of non-returning; the arahat and one practising for arahatship. This is the eighth wonderful and marvellous quality in this Dhamma and Discipline, which the monks perceive again and again by reason of which they take delight in it.

“These, Pahārāda, are the eight wonderful and marvellous qualities in this Dhamma and

Discipline, which the monks perceive again and again by reason of which they take delight in it.”

Anguttara Nikāya 

The Chapter of the Eights 

(8:19) Pahārādasutta

With Pahārāda

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18 October 2023

“You are blessed with the four great fortunes. All you have to do now is to make all these four great fortunes into Nibbāna.”

The Teachings of Ajahn Suchart.

29 October 2023

“You are blessed with the four great fortunes. All you have to do now is to make all these four great fortunes into Nibbāna.”

The first great fortune is being born as a human being because if you are born as an animal, you are not able to study the teachings of the Buddha. And you cannot practice the teachings of the Buddha. So you cannot be enlightened if you are an animal. But when you are a human being, like you are now, you can study and you can practice following the Dhamma teachings. So this is the first great fortune.

The second great fortune is to have discovered or found the Dhamma teachings. You need the Dhamma teachings to lead you to enlightenment. If there is no Dhamma teaching in this world, nobody will be able to become enlightened by themselves. Only the Buddha can teach himself to become enlightened. All other human beings have to rely on the Buddha’s teachings. All of the Buddha’s Noble Disciples and all the Arahants had to listen to the teachings of the Buddha and then practice by following the teachings. So this is the second great fortune, to have found or to have discovered the Dhamma teachings of the Buddha.

The third great fortune is to be alive, to be breathing. If you are not alive today, you cannot be there tonight. In order to become enlightened, you have to be alive so that you can listen or study the Dhamma teachings. And after you have learned the Dhamma teachings, you can apply the Dhamma teachings in your practice. So this is the third great fortune, being alive.

The fourth great fortune is to have the time and the effort to study and practice the Dhamma teachings, like you have tonight. You have the time and you make the effort to bring yourself to Wat Palelai so that you can listen to the Dhamma talk and meditate.

If you don’t have the time or the effort to practice, even though you might be a human being, you might have found the teachings of the Buddha, and you are still alive, you are not be able to utilize your great fortune. So it is all up to you. You are the only person who can find the time and the effort to study and to practice the Dhamma teachings. 

If you do find the time and the effort to practice, the result of your practice will eventually appear because this is the way people have become enlightened from the time when the Buddha gave his first Dhamma discourse to the five ascetics. Listening to Dhamma talks is like studying. After the ascetics had listened, they applied it in their practice. They had already developed dāna (charity). They had already developed sīla, keeping precepts. They had developed samādhi, a calm and peaceful mind. So all they needed to do was to develop vipassanā.

Samatha-bhāvanā is samādhi. Vipassanā-bhāvanā is paññā. So it is all up to you. You are the one who can make it happen. Nobody else can make it happen. And you have all the necessary ingredients to make it happen. You have human birth, you have found the teachings of the Buddha, you are alive. So all you need now is the time and effort to really study and to really practice. Once you have them, then you will have the results. The results consist of the four paths and four fruits. 

The first path and fruit is called Sotāpanna. 

The second path and fruit is called Sakadāgāmī. 

The third path and fruit is called Anāgāmī. 

And the fourth path and fruit is called Arahant. 

Once you have arrived at the fruit of Arahant, you also will proceed on to Nibbāna.

Once you have realized Nibbāna, you will no longer have to take birth again. You will no longer have to get old, get sick, die, and be separated from your loved ones or face the things or people that you don’t like to face. All these only happen when you take birth. 

When you don’t have to take birth, there is no sickness, aging, dying or separation. So this is what we call eternal happiness. Paramaṁ sukkhaṁ means supreme happiness. It is supreme because there is no sadness, no suffering in this kind of happiness. And it lasts forever. So these are the things you should consider. 

You are blessed with the four great fortunes. All you have to do now is to make all these four great fortunes into Nibbāna, into the cessation of suffering, into the cessation of endless rounds of rebirth.

By Ajaan Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube: 

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

The Teachings of Ajahn Suchart.

The Teachings of Ajahn Suchart.

26 October 2023

Student:  I work at an elementary school and I always feel so exhausted. I experienced a lot of injustice at school. My biggest problem is to have equanimity and to be able to say that all beings are the owner of their own karma but it's so difficult to do it. So I would like to ask for your advice on how to develop more equanimity.

Than Ajahn:  You need mindfulness to get to equanimity so try to develop as much mindfulness as you can. I think the best time for you to start is when you get up that's when you haven't yet met anybody. You can start mindfulness as soon as you open up your eyes. 

Try to stay focused with your body or with a mantra as you go about getting ready for work like brushing your teeth, washing your face or taking a shower, dressing. This is the precious time for developing mindfulness because you are still alone, you're not getting involved in anybody yet. If you can do that then you might have certain level of mindfulness carryover when you continue on with your daily activities. 

Get a good start. As soon as you get up, get your mindfulness starts right away.

Student:  I start with meditation each morning.

Than Ajahn:  Yes, after you finished your meditation, continue with your mindfulness with every movement of your body from sitting to standing to walking to doing whatever the body is doing. Or you can also use a mantra to help bring your mind back if your mind starts to wander away. When the mind starts going someplace else you can use a mantra and watch your body at the same time. See how far you can get with this mindfulness practice. 

Then your mind will be calmer and less reactive to things. 

Then you’ll realise regardless of how you react to things, you don't change things really, right? Things happen to people differently and whether you worry or you're sad or you're not sad, it doesn't change anything. You cannot change things, let's put it that way. 

You cannot change orange juice into bananas or bananas into apples. Just look at them for what they are, that’s how you should teach yourself. Use the simile of the fruits. People are like fruits.

Everybody is different and everybody is subject to the consequence of his/her own kamma. 

That’s why this is the way he or she is. So you cannot change anything really! You might be able to do it sometimes or to some people but not all the time. 

Do what you can and accept whatever you cannot do. Don't lose sleep over it. Don't try to change apple into banana.

Student:  Okay. I will try it. Thank you so much. 

- - - - - 

Student 2:  I'm still trying to change apples to oranges everyday but I know it’s not possible. I just subconsciously do it even though I know that it's not right.

Than Ajahn:  It's your habit. It's a habit that you want to keep changing things to suit things to your liking. 

That’s all there is to it. You can look at the things you want to change, sometimes you can change things sometimes you can’t. So change what you can and give up what you cannot change. Accept what you can’t change then there’ll be no stress, no disappointment. 

“Dhamma in English, Feb 7, 2023.”

- - - - -

Layperson 1:  Than Ajahn, when someone says something to us, it stops there. Anything that we take in, whether we get angry or we can let it go, they are all our own creation. 

Than Ajahn:  Right. The reaction is based on our own likes and dislikes. When we like something, we feel good. When we dislike something, we feel bad. We react differently to different event. If we can get rid of our likes and dislikes, we will have no desire to react to it. We’ll have no reaction to whatever people say, emotionally. 

Layperson 1:  We used to blame others instead of looking into ourselves.

Than Ajahn:  Right. You have to get rid of your likes and dislikes. And the way to do it is to have upekkhā. In order to have upekkhā, you have to practice a lot of meditation. The calmer your mind is, the more of likes or dislikes disappear.

Layperson 1:  Yes, I’ve learned to look at it now. 

Than Ajahn:  You have to look at what people do or say like the weather. You can’t control the weather, right? You can’t tell the rain to stop or fall. You can’t tell people to say good things or bad things, to do good things or bad things. You just watch them, just observe them. That’s all. You just know what they do, but you don’t have any likes or dislikes about the things they do. 

Layperson 1:  Yes, I’ve seen it now. I know how to cut it off. 

Than Ajahn:  Right, just know it for what it is. Accept it for what it is. Don’t have any desire for it to be different than what it is. 

Don’t try to change bananas into apples. Just accept bananas as bananas and apples as apples. Then, you’ll have no problems with things or people. They come and go. The way to be able to do this is by having strong mindfulness. Strong mindfulness will make your mind becomes neutral. It becomes upekkhā. So, develop a lot of mindfulness and sit in meditation. Bring the mind to become still. Then, the mind will become neutral. It becomes upekkhā. There’s no love, no hatred, no fear, no delusion.

“Dhamma in English, Feb 21, 2018.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

YouTube:  Dhamma in English.

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

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

5 April 2024

Q:  When I have an expectation and it doesn’t get met then ill-will begins to rise, how can I cut it off right away? I’ve been practising minimizing my expectation but sometimes I fall into the old routine of expecting certain behaviour and then it doesn’t happen and I begin to have ill-will. I just always want to stay focus on sending goodwill and wishing people well. 

Any tips on being quicker at stopping this ill-will? 

Than Ajahn:  Just keep reminding yourself that everything is uncertain. You cannot expect things to always be the way you want them to be. Just recite the word, ‘Anicca, anicca.’ Anicca means impermanence, change or uncertainty. If you can remember this then you won’t expect anything. You just take things as they come. Or just tell yourself that everything is like the weather. Your husband is like the weather, he can be nice some day and he can be really bad some day. Nothing is under your control so don’t expect anything. 

Just hope for the best, expect the worst. Then you won’t be disappointed.    

Q:  In my family, I’m probably the child who has extended beyond the family tradition more so than the other sisters I have so they don’t understand what I’m doing with meditation and studying the teachings of the Buddha so I don’t hear from them often but I still want to maintain good rapport with them because I don’t want them to look at Buddhism in a negative way. So I’ve been sending them updates but I usually don’t get any feedback. 

What do you recommend, should I continue to do this effort?

Than Ajahn:  You can always send goodwill anytime you want to them but don’t expect anything in return, that’s all. Sometimes you might get good feedback, sometimes you might not get any feedback but it’s not your problem. Your problem is to send goodwill until you find that it’s no longer needed then you can stop. If you find that you are like talking to the wall, not getting any feedback, then maybe they don’t want to have anything to do with you then you just have to accept that fact, that’s all. But you can always send them updates, send them gifts like birthday presents, things like that. Try not to discuss the Buddhism topic with them because it’s something that they might not understand so they might be afraid of you discussing with them. Try to avoid discussing something that they don’t like to listen to, just discuss other things that you can discuss. 

Don’t expect anything. They can either maintain good relationship with you or don’t maintain good relationship with you if they don’t want to. This is something that you have to think of as impermanent. 

Nothing is permanent.  

“Dhamma in English, Apr 29, 2023.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

YouTube:  Dhamma in English.

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

Sigālaka, that’s how the eastern direction is covered, kept safe and free of danger.

Sigālaka, that’s how the eastern direction is covered, kept safe and free of danger.

A child should serve his parents as the eastern direction in five ways, thinking,

I will look after my parents who brought me up. 

I’ll do my duty for them. 

I will maintain the family lineage and tradition; 

I will be worthy of my inheritance; 

When they have passed away, I’ll offer gifts to virtuous persons and share merit with my parents.

Parents served by the children in these ways, show compassion to the children in five ways. 

Parents keep children from doing bad. 

Parents support children in doing good. 

Parents train children in a profession. 

Parents find children suitable spouses. 

Parents transfer the inheritance to the children in due time. 

Parents served by their children in five ways show compassion to them in these five ways. 

Sigālaka, that’s how the eastern direction is covered, kept safe and free of danger.

- Buddha's advice to Sigāla, (DN 31 Sigāla Sutta)

https://suttafriends.org/sutta/dn31/#pt13

17 October 2023

A sharing on the Tipitaka .....

A sharing on the Tipitaka .....

QUESTION :

Bhante, the Buddha was so intelligent and His teaching is so wonderful. What I want to know is- Is there any Buddhist humour in the Tipitaka?

Regards,

ANSWER :

As far as I know, there is no Buddhist humour in the Tipitaka. We were told that the Buddha never use this method as it seemed desrespectful to the Dhamma -his very profound teaching. Even in the commentaries, humour is rarely seen. It seems that the commentators followed the Buddha’s foot-steps. However, it seems amusing Pali sentences do appear in the Pali Grammar book. An illustration, “Devadatto diva na bhutto thulo.” It means: “Devadatta does not take food in day time but he is fat.” 

You may smile if you interpret this in the opposite to uncover the hidden meaning which is : “Devadatta takes food at night, and thus he is fat.” I can’t exactly say if this Pali sentence is humour, sarcasm, irony or satire.

In today's context, we do see teaching monks conveying the Dhamma with a pitch of humour as a means to captivate the student's attention. Even preaching monks may on occasions use jokes to keep the listeners attentive. As for me, do I make jokes? Of course, I do if it helps to convey a learning point better.

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With Metta,

~ U Cittara

15 October 2023

Dependent Origination: The Buddhist Law of Conditionality by P. A. Payutto - Translated from the Thai by Bruce Evans

Dependent Origination: The Buddhist Law of Conditionality
by P. A. Payutto - Translated from the Thai by Bruce Evans

Introduction : 

     The teaching of causal interdependence is the most important of Buddhist principles. It describes the law of nature, which exists as the natural course of things. The Buddha was no emissary of heavenly commandments, but the discoverer of this principle of the natural order, and the proclaimer of its truth to the world. 

    The progression of causes and conditions is the reality which applies to all things, from the natural environment, which is an external, physical condition, to the events of human society, ethical principles, life events and the happiness and suffering which manifest in our own minds. These systems of causal relationship are part of the one natural truth. 

Our happiness within this natural system depends on having some knowledge of how it works and practicing correctly within it, through addressing problems on the personal, social, and environmental levels. 

Given that all things are interconnected, and all are affecting each other, success in dealing with the world lies in creating harmony within it. 

    The sciences which have evolved with human civilization, and which are influencing our lives so profoundly today, are said to be based on reason and rationality. Their storehouse of knowledge has been amassed through interacting with these natural laws of conditionality. But the human search for knowledge in modern scientific fields has three notable features: Firstly, the search for knowledge in these sciences, and the application of that knowledge, is separated into distinct categories. Each branch of science is distinct from the others. Secondly, human beings in this present civilization are of the belief that the law of conditionality applies only to the physical world, not to the mental world, or to abstract values such as ethics. This can be seen even in the study of psychology, which tends to look at the cause and effect process only in relation to physical phenomena. Thirdly, the application of scientific knowledge (of the laws of conditionality) is applied solely to serve self interests. Our relationship with the natural environment, for instance, is centered around trying to derive as much resources from it as we can with little or no regard for the consequences. 

    Underneath it all, we tend to interpret such concepts as happiness, freedom, rights, liberty, and peace in ways that preserve self interests and encroach on others. Even when controlling other people comes to be seen as a blameworthy act, this aggressive tendency is then turned in other directions, such as the natural environment. Now that we are beginning to realize that it is impossible to really control other people or other things, the only meaning left in life is to preserve self interests and protect territorial rights. Living as we do with this faulty knowledge and these mistaken beliefs, the natural environment is thrown out of skew, society is in turmoil, and human life, both physically and mentally, is disoriented. The world seems to be full of conflict and suffering. 

    All facets of the natural order -- the physical world and the human world, the world of conditions (dhamma) and the world of actions (kamma), the material world and the mental world -- are connected and interrelated, they cannot be separated. 

Disorder and aberration in one sector will affect other sectors. If we want to live in peace, we must learn how to live in harmony with all spheres of the natural environment, both the internal and the external, the individual and the social, the physical and the mental, the material and the immaterial. 

    To create true happiness it is of utmost importance that we not only reflect on the interrelationship of all things in the natural order, but also see ourselves clearly as one system of causal relationships within that natural order, becoming aware first of the internal mental factors, then those in our life experiences, in society, and ultimately in the world around us. This is why, of all the systems of causal relationship based on the law "because there is this, that arises; when this ceases that ceases," the teachings of Buddhism begin with, and stress throughout, the factors involved in the creation of suffering in individual awareness -- "because there is ignorance, there are volitional formations." Once this system of causal relationship is understood on the inner level, we are then in a position to see the connections between these inner factors and the causal relationships in society and the natural environment. This is the approach adopted in this book. 

    I would like to express my appreciation to the Buddhadhamma Foundation, to Khun Yongyuth Thanapura, who has undertaken the responsibility of having this book translated into English, and also Bruce Evans, who has translated it with heart as well as mind, making a number of adjustments to it in order to turn one chapter of a larger book into a comprehensive whole. 

    May the good intentions involved in the production of this book serve to play some small part in creating well-being, both individual and social, in the world at large. 

 P. A. Payutto

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14 October 2023

Ajahn Lee Dhammadaro (Wat Asokaram)

Ajahn Lee Dhammadaro  (Wat Asokaram)

When we see good or bad sights with our eyes, we latch onto them. When we hear good or bad sounds with our ears, we latch onto them. When we smell good or bad odors, taste good or bad flavors, feel good or bad sensations, or think good or bad thoughts, we latch onto them—so we end up all encumbered with sights dangling from our eyes, sounds dangling from both of our ears, odors dangling from the tip of our nose, flavors dangling from the tip of our tongue, tactile sensations dangling all over our body, and thoughts dangling from our mind. This way, sights are sure to close off our eyes, sounds close off our ears, odors close off our nostrils, flavors close off our tongue, tactile sensations close off our body, and thoughts close off our mind. When our senses are completely closed off in this way, we’re in the dark—the darkness of unawareness—groping around without finding the right way, unable to go any way at all. Our body is weighed down and our mind is dark. This is called harming yourself, killing yourself, destroying your own chances for progress. 

Thoughts are addictive, and especially when they’re about things that are bad. We remember them long and think of them often. 

This is delusion, one of the camp-followers of unawareness. For this reason, we have to drive this kind of delusion from our hearts by making ourselves mindful and self-aware, fully alert with each in-and-out breath. This is what awareness comes from. When awareness arises, discernment arises as well. 

If awareness doesn’t arise, how will we be able to get rid of craving? When awareness arises, craving for sensuality, craving for possibilities, and craving for impossibilities will all stop, and attachment won’t exist.

Most of us tend to flow along in the direction of what’s bad more than in the direction of what’s good. When people try to convince us to do good, they have to give us lots of reasons, and even then we hardly budge. But if they try to talk us into doing bad, all they have to do is say one or two words and we’re already running with them. This is why the Buddha said, ‘People are foolish. They like to feed on bad preoccupations.’ And that’s not all. We even feed on things that have no truth to them at all. We can’t be bothered with thinking about good things, but we like to keep clambering after bad things, trying to remember them and keep them in mind. 

- Ajahn Lee Dhammadaro  (Wat Asokaram)

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13 October 2023