The Teachings of Ajahn Suchart.
14 January 2026
Q: How do we get rid of jealousy?
Than Ajahn: The easiest way to do when jealousy comes up is to use the mantra. As soon as you know you're being jealous, you just keep reciting ‘Budho, Budho, Budho.’
Once you can calm your mind down then maybe you can teach your mind that we are all the same.
We are all subjected to the same things - aging sickness and death - so there's no need to be envious of anybody.
Nobody is better than we are. We are all about the same. We are all in the same boat, the sinking boat, so it doesn't matter how rich we get or how famous we become, we are all going to get drown in the end.
Right?
So try to look at our similarities, don't try to look at our differences. We have more similarities than we have differences so look at our similarities. We're all going to get old, we're all going to get sick, we're all going to die.
Q: That's true. Does it help if sometimes I try to cover up the jealousy by doing something for that person like doing a nice thing for that person?
Than Ajahn: It depends on your intention, the purpose of helping that person. Because by helping other people doesn’t get rid of your jealousy. Your jealousy is in your mind, you compare yourself with other person and you say, ‘Oh I'm worse than that person,’ so it makes you envious of that person. But if you look at whatever things that person has e.g. fame, money or anything, they are all temporary. All things are anicca, they are not [things that give] true happiness. I can guarantee you that people who have money, people who have status, they're not happy. In fact, they're more unhappy than we are because they have to try to maintain their status.
When you have nothing then there’s nothing you have to worry about losing. As soon as you have something then you have to worry about losing it. So in fact it's better not to have anything.
Being envious of others is your defilement, your craving, You can counter this craving by looking at everything as anicca (impermanent), everything is temporary, it doesn’t matter what it is. Good look will turn into bad look one day. We are going to turn into bad look in the end anyway. Look at all the stars who are at their 60s, they are all look like old men now, right?
Think of impermanent then you will not be envious of anybody. In fact, if you don’t have anything good then you have nothing good to lose.
“Dhamma in English, Aug 20, 2024.
By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
YouTube: Dhamma in English.
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