Ajahn Anan

Ajahn Anan

Ajahn Anan frequently relates a question he asked Ajahn Chah as the main turning point in his practice. At the time, Ajahn Anan was  starting to gain deep calm in the mind for long  periods and wanted to ask Ajahn Chah what to do next. He felt that investigating the body was too coarse to be the fastest way to enlightenment and that investigating the mind must be the correct method. When he asked Ajahn Chah about this, the teacher responded, “You're asking me this, but right now is your mind calm?” 

Ajahn Anan recalled the experience: “In those days, asking Ajahn Chah about your practice was a huge deal. I was petrified and shaking like a leaf, so more out of fear than anything, I replied that my mind was calm. 

He told me—and made it more than clear—that if the mind is calm, you have to investigate the body. For me to assume my practice was beyond that point at the time was foolish. I was like a little kid who wants the biggest, juiciest mango on the tree, but the stick I was using to get it was too long and heavy for the job.” 

Ajahn Anan continued: “The key lesson every meditator should take away from this is that when the mind is calm, use that calm to investigate the body as impermanent, suffering, and not-self. This is because the roots of all defilements are attached to this body.” 

“You can go straight to investigating the mind and see the Dhamma,” said Ajahn Anan, “if you already have a lot of accumulated merit and your practice is very advanced. For example, when the Buddha investigated the five aggregates—form, feeling, perception, thought and consciousness— he broke through ignorance and attained Dhamma. 

You have to remember though, the Buddha already had a lot of accumulated merit and his practice had progressed to the final point. 

Because of this, he was able to contemplate dependent origination and become enlightened— but normal people like us? 

Even the great Thai Forest masters like Ajahn Mun and Ajahn Chah practiced investigating the body first, and taught others to do the same.”

~•~•~•~

Reflections from Emptiness Dhamma- Quotes on the Path to Liberation by Venerable Ajahn Anan Akiñcano

https://watmarpjan.org/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/RFE-PDF-for-WEB_Final-Version-1.pdf

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27 September 2023