THE DEFNITIONS OF THE ROOTS

THE DEFNITIONS OF THE ROOTS

Greed:  liking, wishing, longing, fondness, affection, attachment, lust, cupidity, craving, passion, self-indulgence, possessiveness, avarice; desire for the five sense objects; desire for wealth, offspring, fame, etc.

Hatred : dislike, disgust, revulsion, resentment, grudge, ill-humour, vexation, irritability, antagonism, aversion, anger, wrath, vengefulness.

Delusion : stupidity, dullness, confusion, ignorance of essentials (e.g., the Four Noble Truths), prejudice, ideological dogmatism, fanaticism, wrong views, conceit.

(b) The Wholesome. Though formulated negatively, the three wholesome roots signify positive traits:

Non-greed : unselfishness, liberality, generosity; thoughts and actions of sacrifice and sharing; renunciation, dispassion.

Non-hatred : loving kindness, compassion, sympathy, friendliness, forgiveness, forbearance.

Non-delusion : wisdom, insight, knowledge, understanding, intelligence, sagacity, discrimination, impartiality, equanimity.

2. The Commentarial Definitions of the Unwholesome Roots

Greed has the characteristic of grasping an object, like bird-lime (lit. “monkey-lime”). Its function is sticking, like meat put in a hot pan. It is manifested as not giving up, like the dye of lamp-black. Its proximate cause is seeing enjoyment in things that lead to bondage. Swelling with the current of craving, it should be regarded as carrying beings along with it to states of misery as a swift-flowing river does to the great ocean.

Hatred has the characteristic of savageness, like a provoked snake. Its function is to spread, like a drop of poison, or its function is to burn up its own support, like a forest fire. It is manifested as persecuting like an enemy that has got his chance. Its proximate cause is the grounds for annoyance (āghāta-vatthu). It should be regarded as being like stale urine mixed with poison.

Delusion has the characteristic of blindness, or it has the characteristic of unknowing. Its function is non-penetration, or its function is to conceal the true nature of an object. It is manifested as the absence of right view, [3] or it is manifested as darkness. Its proximate cause is unwise (unjustified) attention. It should be regarded as the root of all that is unwholesome.

Vism XIV, 162, 171

3. The Commentarial Definitions of the Wholesome Roots

Non-greed has the characteristic of the mind’s lack of desire for an object, or it has the characteristic of non-adherence, like a water drop on a lotus leaf. Its function is not to lay hold (or not to grasp), like a liberated bhikkhu. It is manifested as not treating (the desire-evoking object) as a shelter (or non-cleaving), as a man who has fallen into filth (will not cling to it).

Non-hatred has the characteristic of lack of savagery, or the characteristic of non-opposing, like a congenial friend. Its function is to remove annoyance, or its function is to remove fever, as sandalwood does. It is manifested as agreeableness, like the full moon.

Non-delusion has the characteristic of penetrating (things) according to their true nature, or it has the characteristic of sure penetration, like the penetration of an arrow shot by a skilful archer. Its function is to illuminate the objective field, like a lamp. It is manifested as non-bewilderment, like a forest guide. The three should be regarded as the roots of all that is wholesome.

Vism XIV, 143

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

30 November 2024

Question:  I lose my mindfulness when anger overwhelms me. And when I am angry, the level of anger is so intense. Why my anger is so intense and what object of meditation is suitable for my temperament? 

Than Ajahn:  Well, your anger is caused by your desire, either you want something or you want people to do something. When you don’t get what you want or people don’t do what you want them to do, you become angry. One way to manage it is to lessen your desire, and just let other people be; leave other people alone; don’t expect anything from other people, then your anger will not arise. 

When anger arises, what you need to have is strong enough mindfulness to get rid of it. If you cannot stop your mind with mindfulness, then you have to recite a mantra. When you’re angry, don’t keep thinking about the person or the thing that makes you angry, but try to forget it by keep reciting a mantra, ‘Buddho, Buddho, Buddho.’ If you can recite a mantra for a few minutes, you’ll forget what makes you angry and your anger will disappear. 

In order to be able to recite a mantra at the time when you need it, you must first practice reciting the mantra. 

It’s like running. If you are not used to running, when you suddenly have to run, you might find it rather difficult to do. But if you keep practicing running, when you have to run, you’ll find it easy to do. 

It’s the same thing with swimming, or with using a mantra to get rid of your anger. You need to practice reciting the mantra first. If you don’t practice it beforehand, when you’re angry, you’ll find it difficult or impossible to recite the mantra because your mind is so intense on the thing that makes you angry so it won’t let you go and recite the mantra. But if you keep practicing the mantra until your mind becomes adept or attuned with the mantra, anytime when you need the mantra, the mantra will come up and you can keep reciting it.

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Question:  How to clear the misunderstanding from other persons, especially friends? 

Than Ajahn:  You have to communicate. You have to talk to the person if you have any misunderstanding.

Layperson:  Yeah, but the other persons don’t want to share about their misunderstanding. 

Than Ajahn:  Ok, no need to clear it. Forget about it. 

You just live your life and let them live their lives. If they don’t want to clear it, what can you do? So, don’t worry about it. This is the way it is. Some people are willing to clear the matter and some people want to hold grudges. There is nothing you can do.

Question:  How can I deal with my anger?

Than Ajahn:  If you are angry with other people, you should forgive them. If they make you angry and you can forgive them, then your anger will disappear. Your anger arises because you are not happy with what they’ve done to you and you want to take revenge. But if you have compassion or if you have loving-kindness, then you just forgive them. Just look at it as a normal thing that is happening in life. Sometimes, people run into each other and got into problems, but once it has already happened, it’s useless to think about it. If you can forget about it, then your bad feelings will disappear. 

So, one way you can do if you cannot forgive them is to use a mantra to forget about the matter. When you think and become angry, then you stop thinking. When you stop thinking, your anger will disappear. Ok? 

If you can clear any misunderstanding with them, then clear the matter with them like say sorry to them. 

But some people don’t want to hear it. If they don’t want to hear it, then just forget about it and just leave each other alone. If they don’t like you, it’s ok. You stay away from them.

“Dhamma in English, May 28, 2019.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

YouTube:  Dhamma in English.

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

“Meditation requires the guidance of a teacher. This does not mean that you need a teacher beside you in meditation. We ask our teacher how to practise meditation and then proceed to practise by ourselves.”

The teachings of Ajahn Suchart.

24 April 2025

“Meditation requires the guidance of a teacher. This does not mean that you need a teacher beside you in meditation. We ask our teacher how to practise meditation and then proceed to practise by ourselves.”

First we should stop our thoughts by reciting Buddho, Buddho. It is as if we have been driving our car in the wrong direction. We have to stop first before we can make a U-turn and drive in the right direction. 

Similarly, our minds have been thinking in the wrong way, based on false beliefs, thinking things are permanent, pleasurable, and self. 

We have to first stop this type of thinking. Having done so, we can then direct our minds to consider how things are really impermanent, stressful, and not-self. As we continue contemplating anicca, dukkha, and anattā, we let go of our attachments step by step, reducing our desire bit by bit until in the end, no desire is left in the mind. Without greed or desire, no suffering of any type will arise in the mind. In this way our mind is able to free itself from suffering.

First we develop mindfulness to stop our thoughts, which leads to samādhi (concentration). 

Having the ability to concentrate, we proceed to think in the right way, which is called wisdom. 

This is mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom. This is similar to realising that we are driving south when we want to go north: we must apply the brakes, stop the car, and make a U-turn.

May you contemplate this and put it into practice, because it is only by practising it that you will really experience the benefits. Listening is good, but if it is not followed by practice, then the results will not arise. 

However, if we practise without first listening to the teachings, we can lose our way. If we are not sure of the way, but proceed anyway, we might go astray. 

Before we set out on the path, we should be confident we know the way. If we are not sure, we should ask those who know how we should proceed. The Buddha taught us to first study and listen to the Dhamma. 

Once we know how to practise, then we proceed. We need both study and practice in order for us to be successful and attain the path, fruition, and enlightenment. If we practise without studying, we are walking without knowing which direction to go and which destination to head for, so we won’t reach our goal.

Meditation requires the guidance of a teacher or an Ajahn. This does not mean that you need a teacher beside you in meditation. We ask our teacher how to practise meditation and then proceed to practise by ourselves. Then we return back to relate our experiences to our teacher to see if we are headed in the right direction. It is like doing homework and turning it in to the teacher who corrects it. If it’s right, the teacher will tell us it is right. If it is wrong, the teacher will tell us how we can improve. This is how we study and practise correctly. 

By Ajaan Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

Youtube: Dhamma in English

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

“Do you still think the breath is boring?

“Do you still think the breath is boring?

A Zen student complained to his teacher that focusing on the breath during meditation was boring. The teacher submerged the student’s head under water until the student kicked and struggled to come up for air, at which point the master released his grip, looked the student in the eye, and asked, “Do you still think the breath is boring?”

Do you think we can we train ourselves to appreciate everything in our lives without having to go without it for a while? It would take shifting our perspective from feeling entitled to the time we have on this earth to seeing time as a gift from a mysterious stranger.

The reason I suggest considering our time a “gift” is because we are already familiar with the feeling of gratitude when someone gives us a present. But here's a gratitude exercise... imagine your car breaks down during a very difficult time in your life, leaving you with no way to get to work, for example, when someone offers you a free bicycle so you don’t lose your job. 

Would you be grateful? What if it’s not a brand-new bike? What if it's old and rusty without any gears? 

Would you turn down this generous offer because it isn’t up to your standards, or would you be extremely grateful for the possibilities that this less-than-perfect solution represents? 

Because life sometimes gives us gifts like that. Heck, life itself can feel like a less-than-ideal situation.It is often painful, challenging, and uncomfortable, but it’s free time nonetheless.

If we look at everything as a gift, then a rusty bike and a new car are equally valuable. Just think about that word: Valuable. It means the value is in moving forward, not in the form of transportation (whether it’s a bus pass, a skateboard, or your own two feet if you’re fortunate enough to have them and skillful enough to appreciate them). This practice goes beyond seeing the glass as half full or half empty, it’s about being grateful to have a glass in the first place.

The antidote to our sense of entitlement is gratitude, and I truly believe we can learn to appreciate the difficult times in our lives just as much, if not more than, the smooth sailing. And we don’t need a near-death experience to appreciate our lives, do we? After considering each moment a gift, we would stop wasting time, and we would certainly stop thinking of ways to kill it.

Your challenge for today is to not only think of everything for which you are grateful, but contemplate WHY you are grateful for it, and how it affects your life. Marinate in that feeling of gratitude until it comes out your pores in the form of a smile, kindness, and generosity.

So be grateful for each breath, go ahead and put your head underwater if you need a reminder

Ācariya Satya Narayan Goenka and His Teaching 📜Live in the Present Moment, Live in Reality

Ācariya Satya Narayan Goenka and His Teaching
📜Live in the Present Moment, Live in Reality

To live in the present moment is to live in reality. Moments that have passed are no longer real, only memory. Similarly, moments yet to come are unreal; you can only have expectations, fears and hopes of the future.

Living in the present moment means to be fully aware of whatever you experience at this very moment, now - by objectively observing the reality within yourself.

Pleasant, unpleasant memories and hopes, insecurity, fears of the future takes you away from reality of the present moment. This wandering habit pattern of the mind causes problems.

A life not lived in reality, i.e, in the present, is a life of delusion. Delusions defile the mind, causing difficulties in life. 

The wandering, impure mind leads to suffering anxiety, tension, dissatisfaction and frustration.

Strong determined efforts are needed to change this habit pattern of the mind. Stop the mind constantly wandering into the past or future. You train your own mind to remain in reality of the present.

A Vipassana meditator become aware how much the mind rolls in thoughts – past or future. Thoughts are agreeable or disagreeable. You  relish agreeable thoughts, disagreeable thoughts causes suffering. But a Vipassana meditator is with reality when the mind is with sensations, or the natural breath - not with the mind wandering in thoughts.

Sometimes before a thought is completed, another thought arises. Before that thought is completed, a third thought arises. Thoughts arise without sequence or meaning.

A Vipassana meditator realizes how a wandering mind suffers from rolling randomly in thoughts of past or future – generating craving or aversion, and becoming restless, agitated, unhappy. 

The wonderful practice of Vipassana enables us to live in the present moment. 

Be master of this present moment, and be master of your future. 

Attā hi attano nātho, attā hi attano gati. 

You are your own master, you make your own future

By bare observation of sensations, without blindly reacting with craving and aversion, the mind starts getting purified at the deepest level. 

For a relative beginner of Vipassana, there may be only a few moments of remaining purely in the present, not rolling in thoughts of past or future. The mind is fully concentrated in the truth of the present moment – at the level of physical sensations. No delusion, no ignorance. 

A moment of purity from Vipassana practice has a strong impact on old impurities accumulated in deeper levels of the mind. Accumulated impurities and this moment of purity come in explosive contact as negative and positive forces - like eruption of a volcano within. As a result, some deep-rooted impurities may surface as various physical or mental discomforts - such as pain in the legs or in the head, or fear or agitation. What seems a problem is actually signs of progress in meditation. 

When cutting open an abscess, pus is bound to surface. Similarly, during this Vipassana surgery of the mind, some underlying pus is coming out of the wound. Although unpleasant, this is the only way to get rid of the pus, to remove impurities that for long are cause of one's misery.

May the munificent, benevolent, universal nature of Vipassana practice reach all suffering beings, thereby bringing peace, happiness and liberation.

May all beings be happy!

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Words of Dhamma

This mind that wanders wherever it wishes, desires, wherever it sees pleasure, I will first make it steadfast. I will train it thoroughly like a mahout with a goad trains a wild elephant.

Dhammapada 326

DIPA MA’S LESSONS FOR SEEKERS ‘Simplify’

DIPA MA’S LESSONS FOR SEEKERS 
‘Simplify’

"Live simply. A very simple life is good for everything. Too much luxury is a hindrance to practice.”

Even though Dipa Ma and her family lived in two tiny rooms, most visitors perceived those rooms as spacious and filled with light. One student observed that while we in the West think we need a lot of physical space, what Dipa Ma had was a vast psychic space.

In every way, Dipa Ma lived in the greatest simplicity. She refrained from socializing. She did not engage in unnecessary talk. She didn’t involve herself in other people's concerns, especially complaints. Her guideline for herself and her students was to live honestly and never blame others.

Often Dipa Ma simply rested in silence. 

"Whenever I get time alone, I always turn my mind inward," she said. She did not spend time at any activity that was unnecessary to her life.

Just as in meditation we practice giving our full attention to one thing at a time, Dipa Ma did each thing completely without worrying about the next. 

"Thoughts of the past and future," she said, "spoil your time." 

In whatever she did, she was fully present, with ease, stillness, and simplicity. Dipa Ma encouraged her American students to simplify their material needs. In entering one household she exclaimed, "Why so many things? Why so many pairs of shoes? Why ten boxes of tea? Why? 

The accumulation of things only increases the want. You will not find any pleasure in plenty."

- Dipa Ma: The Life and Legacy of a Buddhist Master

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

21st July, 2022

Question:  If the stress builds up inside me until it is like a pressure cooker, should I just sit on it and just know that this feeling is going to pass? 

Than Ajahn:  It might take a long time if you sit on it. The best way to lessen the pressure is by reciting a mantra. Your stress is built by your thoughts. You think about things that make you stressful. If you can pull your thoughts away from those things that make you stressful, then the stress will become less and less. So, the best way to lessen your stress is to use mindfulness, by reciting a mantra, chanting or listening to Dhamma talks: this can pull your mind away from thoughts that cause you to have stress.

“Dhamma in English, May 28, 2019.”

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Question:  Why do I find that the sensual desires tend to be more pronounced during meditation retreat compare to my normal days?

Than Ajahn:  It’s because your sensual desire is being curbed more when you’re in a retreat. 

You cannot let your eyes, ears, nose, and tongue to see and hear things as they normally do because you have to meditate, so the desire can become stronger. It’s like a pressure cooker. 

When the steam inside the pressure cooker has no exit, the steam keeps on building up and it becomes very strong. 

When you are not in meditation retreat, you can see, hear and do anything you like, whenever you like, hence, the sensual pleasure has some outlet to release its pressure and you don’t feel the pressure. When you go for a retreat, you are closing the pressure releaser. It then builds up inside your mind and it becomes stronger. The only way to deal with this is by using mindfulness and meditation. When you have mindfulness or when you meditate, you stop your mind from creating cravings and desires, then the pressure will subside and disappear temporarily. But as soon as you come out of your meditation, if you are not mindful, you start creating more cravings and desires again.

“Dhamma in English, Nov 9, 2018.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

YouTube:  Dhamma in English.

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