The Teachings of Ajahn Suchart.
18 January 2026
"Most people tend to lose to laziness."
Luang Por spoke Dhamma:
Do you understand what I've said? Most of it depends on us. There is already a path. It depends on how diligent we are. Most of the time, we tend to lose to laziness. It's better to sleep, and we get attached to small pleasures, such as sleeping and eating. When it's time to meditate, we have to change our way of life. If we eat and drink normally, we won't progress in meditation. At the very least, we have to observe the 8 precepts and not eat dinner. When we sleep, we sleep lsimply, on the floor. If we go to a temple without electricity or running water, it's not very convenient. It's not very comfortable in terms of living and eating. But it prevents us from worrying too much about eating and sleeping. At first, if we're not used to it, it'll be a bit difficult, but it's not a bad thing because it's just not convenient. It's like using your right hand all the time and then having to use your left hand. At first, it's difficult. Keep practicing and it'll get easier.
When you lose your right hand and only have your left hand left, you have to learn to use your left hand.
Our way of life is the same. We have both our right and left hands. If we're right-handed, we don't like our left.
If we're left-handed, we don't like our right. The way of life that the Lord Buddha taught us to follow is a good way that is truly comfortable and without suffering. But we're not good at it, so we don't like it. We like to live on a pile of happiness surrounded by suffering all the time. Think about it. We have electricity all the time. If the electricity goes out one day, we suffer. The refrigerator doesn’t work. The air conditioner doesn’t work. The fan doesn’t work. We have tap water all the time. If the tap water doesn’t flow, we suffer because we’ve never lived without these things. Even though we can live, we’ve never lived together. We’ve always been attached to things. We’ve always had convenience and ease. When we have to do something difficult, we don’t want to do it. In fact, it’s not difficult. It’s just that we’re not good at it, so we feel it’s difficult. So we don’t want to do it. Our lives don’t develop or change much. If we try to practice, if we don’t do it all the time, at least do it occasionally. When we have 3-4 free days off, we go to a temple. We go to a quiet temple with good teachers. But the temples of teachers tend to be crowded, so they’re not really suitable for meditators.
Those who truly meditate and want peace and quiet might benefit more from going to the temples of their disciples. When I first went to Wat Pa Ban Tad, not many people went. Most people went to the temples of the teachers who were more senior than Luang Ta. Luang Ta’s temple was a quiet temple.
Not many relatives or devotees went there.
On Saturday and Sunday, at most, there are only 2-3 cars going from Udon Thani. To give alms, to offer food, eating and doing everything is fast. Coming back from collecting alms, preparing food in just a few minutes and then we can eat. But now, I feel that there are a lot of people. By the time we can eat, we are tired.
After we finish eating, we have to clean up, sweep up, and so on. It takes a lot of time. There is not much time for meditation. If we go to a small temple like Ajahn In's temple, it is still quiet. There are not many relatives and devotees there. If we go there, we will have a lot of time for meditation. Anywhere with a lot of people, there will be problems later.
If we try to practice, if we don’t do it all the time, at least do it occasionally. When we have 3-4 days off, we go to a temple. We go to a quiet temple with good teachers. But the temples of teachers tend to be crowded, so they are not suitable for meditators. Those who truly meditate and want peace and quiet, they might benefit more from going to the temples of their disciples. When I first went to Wat Pa Ban Tad, not many people went.
Most people went to the temples of teachers who were more senior than Luang Ta. Luang Ta’s temple was therefore a peaceful temple.
There weren’t many relatives or laypeople there. On Saturdays and Sundays, there were only 2-3 cars going from Udon. We went to give alms and food to monks.
Eating and doing everything was fast. When we came back from alms round, we could only prepare the food in a few minutes before we could eat. But now, I feel like there are a lot of people. It takes a long time to eat.
When we finish eating, we have to clean up, sweep up, and so on. It takes a lot of time. There isn’t much time for meditation. If we go to a small temple like Ajarn In’s temple, it is still quiet.
There aren’t many relatives or laypeople there. When we go there, we have a lot of time for meditation.
Wherever there are a lot of people, there will be problems.
Most of the problems are with people. When there are many people, we can’t help but talk.
The more we talk, the more time we waste, the more distracted we are, the more unrest we have. But if we go to a temple where there are not many people, where everyone has their own place to stay, where we are quiet and alone, there are many opportunities to meditate. But we have to meditate well, we have to know what to do. If we lie down and put our foreheads in our hands, thinking distractedly, it won’t be of any use. At the very least, we have to know how to develop mindfulness. When we do walking meditation, we have to be mindful of our walking, and when we do sitting meditation, we have to be mindful of our sitting. Don’t let your mind wander as it pleases. We have to control it all the time, like a prisoner. Don’t let it do whatever it wants. If we let it think, we will think of our friends, think of our old happiness, and it will make us feel lonely, sad, and depressed. We won’t be able to stand it anymore. When we think of our friends, think of our home, think of various things, we want to go back. But if we try to meditate continuously, not let our mind think, just keep walking and saying “Buddho”, sitting and saying “Buddho”, don’t let anything in our mind, just keep saying “Buddho”, then our mind will reach peace.
When it is calm, the mind will not be hungry, it won’t want anything because it has stopped thinking. When it stops, it’s like there’s nothing in this world. There’s no past, no future, there’s only the present. When I am happy, I don’t want to go to anyone. If I reach this point, I want to only pray. I don’t want to be near anyone because being near them is annoying, causing my mind to be agitated, thinking, fabricating, and creating emotions. But if I am alone in the forest or mountains, with the sound of the wind, with the trees, I will have only happiness and comfort with my prayers, walking meditation, sitting meditation, and reading Dharma books alternately. Reading Dharma books on the practical side of the teachings of teachers is like listening to sermons. I gain ideas and various strategies because my practice still relies on hearing and listening all the time.
Because there will be problems and obstacles that arise with my prayers. If I don’t have a roadmap, such as Dharma books or sermons of teachers to listen to all the time, I will get lost because what appears in my prayers are both paths and fruits, and both things that are not paths and fruits. If I don’t know how to distinguish them, I will get stuck with worldly things that will not lead me to liberation, but will lead me to the cycle of birth and death. Therefore, I must have Dharma from teachers to read and listen to sometimes, alternating with my practice of prayer. When I listen to Dharma from teachers, I will gain mental strength and encouragement. When I feel discouraged, bored, and my prayers are not going anywhere, I will listen to their sermons and teachings. Listening to them tell about the problems they have encountered and how they have fought them, gives me the mental strength and encouragement to continue practicing. Therefore, we should stick close to our teachers. For those we have faith in, we should try to visit them regularly. We should listen to their sermons and Dhamma regularly and then we should put them into practice. We must do both. We must listen and we must put them into practice. If we listen but do not put them into practice, we will forget. If we put them into practice, they will remain in our hearts forever.
Phra Ajahn Suchart Aphichato
By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
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