The Teachings of Ajahn Suchart.

The Teachings of Ajahn Suchart.

22 September 2024

Question:  Why some cultivators, like Devadatta, who could attain jhāna, were capable of extreme evil acts?

Than Ajahn:  Attaining jhāna doesn’t stop you from doing bad or evil actions because your bad or evil actions come from your delusion (moha). 

Your delusion can make you think that what you do is right. 

Like Devadatta, he thought that the Buddha was old, so the Buddha should be replaced by someone younger like him. Devadatta thought that he had a good thought. 

He thought that he would help the Sangha by becoming the leader of the Sangha. But this was delusional because he himself hadn’t become enlightened yet. He wasn’t an arahant. So, how could he become the leader of the Sangha? It was also his desire to be big, to be the leader, which was a defilement. 

But he didn’t see this because he didn’t have the wisdom. He only had jhāna. 

Jhāna doesn’t distinguish between the delusion and the truth. Jhāna cannot distinguish truth from delusion. You need to have wisdom in order to be able to distinguish truth from delusion. So, you have to be very careful especially when you’ve got the psychic power like the Devadatta. You might think that you are supreme. 

But in reality, psychic power is useless as far as using it as the weapon to eliminate the defilements. You need to develop vipassanā. 

You need to see aniccaṁ, dukkhaṁ, anattā. 

You have to be very careful when you have achieved jhāna or any type of samādhi. You have to know that your delusion is still strong. 

You always have to watch your cravings. You have to curb or suppress your cravings. You have to try to eliminate them because they are your enemies. They will cause you a lot of dukkha. They will only lead you to the wrong direction. 

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Question:  How could Devadatta be angry at the Buddha, and had so much hatred towards the Buddha?

Than Ajahn:  Because Devadatta had no equanimity. He had no wisdom. And when he wasn’t mindful, he could be overwhelmed by his defilements. 

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Question:  Why was Devadatta opposing the Buddha?

Than Ajahn:  Because he was jealous of the Buddha. They were cousins. Once Devadatta had gotten psychic power, he thought he was more superior to the Buddha. 

Hence, he didn’t want to be the number two. He wanted to be the number one. 

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Question:  It’s scary to see that one’s anger and defilements could be so strong even when one has such high cultivation.

Than Ajahn:  Your anger and defilements arise from the delusion, the desire to make yourself great, to make yourself better than other people. So, you have to be very careful about your desire to be somebody or something. 

You should know it right away that this is a defilement. 

With Dhamma, you don’t want to be anything. You are contented to be yourself. 

You’re happy inside so you don’t need anything from the outside to make you happy. 

You don’t need to be big. You don’t need to be rich. 

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Question: If we are not enlightened, are we subjected ourselves to become the evil persons and how can we prevent this?

Than Ajahn: The Buddha said that we have to learn to be humble, to consider ourselves to be nobody. We stop our delusion from thinking great things about ourselves. 

Because when we are not enlightened, no matter what we have or what we become, even when we become presidents or the kings, we are still nothing compare to the enlightened persons. We are still subjected to dukkha. And we are still subjected to the round of rebirth. 

So, try to be humble. Think of yourself as a servant, or as someone who comes from the lowest level of society. Don’t think of yourself as being important because thinking of yourself as an important person is delusional. In reality, there is no self in the first place. 

We are just the spiritual beings with the capability to know, to perceive and to feel. 

That’s all we are. We are the same. We are spiritual beings. 

So, our true role is to be aware, to know, to feel and to not react to anything. Our role is to keep our minds calm and content. Once the mind becomes calm and content, then it doesn’t need to be anything.

Dhamma in English, Aug 25, 2020.

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

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