The Teachings of Ajahn Suchart.

The Teachings of Ajahn Suchart.

18 December 2023

Question:  I remember reading in the scripture about the importance having the proper attention, ‘yonisomanasikāra’, but I don’t really get the meaning of it.

Than Ajahn:  ‘Yonisomanasikāra’ means to investigate or contemplate on a particular object, such as your body, or the action that you do. You have to contemplate or investigate it to know fully the consequence of what you do. If you study the body, you want to truly see what the body is, what makes up the body. You have to see all the different parts of the body, not just the outside parts that you can see, but also the inside parts of the body, under the skin, so you can have a total picture of your body: this is what it means by ‘manasikāra’. ‘Yoniso’ is to contemplate, to study something so you can get a complete picture of the object that you study. 

When you contemplate the body, there are many aspects of the body that you have to contemplate and understand. ‘Aniccaṁ’ is one aspect. 

What does aniccaṁ mean? Impermanent, changing. 

The body keeps changing all the time, from birth to old age to sickness and death: this is aniccaṁ (impermanent). 

It is dukkha because no one wants to get old, get sick or die. So, having a body means having dukkha (suffering). 

Anattā means the body does not belong to the one who studies or contemplates it. You, who look at the body, are not the body. You are the mind, the one who contemplates, the one who comes and takes possession of the body, and the one who will have to lose the body when the body eventually returns to its origin. The origin of the body is the 4 elements. 

The body is made up of the 4 elements: the elements of earth, water, fire and wind. 

So, this is the study, ‘yonisomanasikāra,’ of the body: you have to see the body in complete picture, not just the way you normally look at the body. You tend to look at the body as permanent, look at the body as giving you happiness, look at the body as being me, being I, being mine—this is not the right contemplation, this is the wrong contemplation, wrong view, wrong understanding. 

So, you do ‘yonisomanasikāra’ to achieve sammā-diṭṭhi, right understanding, right view.

“Dhamma in English, Mar 15, 2019.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g

The Story of Culapanthaka

 THE MONK WHO CREATE MULTIPLE BODIES 🥀

The Story of Culapanthaka

While residing at the Veluvana monastery, the Buddha uttered Verse (25) of this book, with reference to Culapanthaka, a grandson of a banker of Rajagaha.

The banker had two grandsons, named Mahapanthaka and Culapanthaka. Mahapanthaka, being the elder, used to accompany his grandfather to listen to religious discourses. Later, Mahapanthaka joined the Buddhist religious Order and in course of time became an arahat. 

Culapanthaka followed his brother and became a bhikkhu. But, because in a previous existence in the time of Kassapa Buddha, Culapanthaka had made fun of a bhikkhu who was very dull, he was born a dullard in the present existence. He could not even memorize one verse in four months. Mahapanthaka was very disappointed with his younger brother and even told him that he was not worthy of the Order.

About that time, Jivaka came to the monastery to invite the Buddha and the resident bhikkhus to his house for a meal. Mahapanthaka, who was then in charge of assigning the bhikkhus to meal invitations, left out Culapanthaka from the list. When Culapanthaka learnt about this he felt very much frustrated and decided that he would return to the life of a householder. 

Knowing his intention, the Buddha took him along and made him sit in front of the Gandhakuti hall. He then gave a clean piece of cloth to Culapanthaka and told him to sit there facing east and rub the piece of cloth. At the same time he was to repeat the word "Rajoharanam", which means "taking on impurity." The Buddha then went to the residence of Jivaka, accompanied by the bhikkhus.

Meanwhile, Culapanthaka went on rubbing the piece of cloth, all the time muttering the word "Rajoharanam". Very soon, the cloth became soiled. Seeing this change in the condition of the cloth, Culapanthaka came to realize the impermanent nature of all conditioned things. From the house of Jivaka, the Buddha through supernormal power learnt about the progress of Culapanthaka. He sent forth his radiance so that (to Culapanthaka) the Buddha appeared to be sitting in front of him, saying:

"It is not the piece of cloth alone that is made dirty by the dust; within oneself also there exist the dust of passion (raga), the dust of ill will (dosa), and the dust of ignorance (moha), i.e., the ignorance of the Four Noble Truths. Only by removing these could one achieve one's goal and attain arahatship". Culapanthaka got the message and kept on meditating and in a short while attained arahatship, together with Analytical Insight. Thus, Culapanthaka ceased to be a dullard.

At the house of Jivaka, they were about to pour libation water as a mark of donation; but the Buddha covered the bowl with his hand and asked if there were any bhikkhus left at the monastery. On being answered that there were none, the Buddha replied that there was one and directed them to fetch Culapanthaka from the monastery. When the messenger from the house of Jivaka arrived at the monastery he found not only one bhikkhu, but a thousand identical bhikkhus. They all have been created by Culapanthaka, who by now possessed supernormal powers The messenger was baffled and he turned back and reported the matter to Jivaka. The messenger was sent to the monastery for the second time and was instructed to say that the Buddha summoned the bhikkhu by the name of Culapanthaka. But when he delivered the message, a thousand voices responded, "I am Culapanthaka." Again baffled, he turned back for the second time. Then he was sent to the monastery, for the third time. This time, he was instructed to get hold of the bhikkhu who first said that he was Culapanthaka. As soon as he got hold of that bhikkhu all the rest disappeared, and Culapanthaka accompanied the messenger to the house of Jivaka. After the meal, as directed by the Buddha, Culapanthaka delivered a religious discourse confidently and bravely, roaring like a young lion.

Later, when the subject of Culapanthaka cropped up among the bhikkhus, the Buddha said that one who was diligent and steadfast in his striving would certainly attain arahatship.

Then the Buddha spoke in verse as follows:

Utthanena' ppamadena

samyamena damena ca

dipam kayiratha medhavi1

yam ogho nabhikirati.

Verse 25: Through diligence, mindfulness, discipline (with regard to moral precepts), and control of his senses, let the man of wisdom make (of himself) an island which no flood can overwhelm.

https://www.tipitaka.net/tipitaka/dhp/verseload.php?verse=025

The Enlightened Nun Subha Panadure Vajira Dasasilmatha

The Enlightened Nun Subha
Panadure Vajira Dasasilmatha

By the time Subha reached her sixteenth year, her father had become a rich man, receiving commissions from many rich clients. As his trade prospered, he had many goldsmiths working under him. Subha often wore the beautiful necklaces, coronets, and other ornaments he crafted for queens and princesses, parading and showing off their beauty. The parents and neighbors admired good-natured Subha, who appeared even more beautiful wearing delicate, refined ornaments. 

As Subha was kind, her home was a happy place, where friends and relations assembled in harmony. 

Subha's neighbors often talked of a royal prince who had left his palace to lead an ascetic life. 

They said that the noble Sage had become a great saint, with many disciples. 

One day when the people of Rājagaha expected the noble sage's arrival, Subhas' father declared that day a holiday for his workmen and the maid Subha went with her parents and friends to witness the great sage's arrival. When the populace, led by King Bimbisara, heard the Lord Buddha's teachings, they were filled with joy. By evening the king, his retinue, and all the citizens of the town had accepted Buddhism as their faith. Very soon monasteries were offered to the Buddha, where some of the monks stayed, while others set forth to preach the doctrine.

Soon Buddhism was the accepted religion of the country. Many young men and women joined the Order of monks and nuns. Subha accompanied her parents to the teaching site and listened happily to the discourses. 

She saw the yellow-robed nuns and spoke with them. Her family became good devotees who often visited the monastery. One day, as the Lord surveyed the audience with supernormal vision, he saw that the maid Subha was experiencing last birth in samsaric existence - that she would become a nun and gain enlightenment. 

As the Lord preached that day, Subha listened intently and, at the end of the discourse, she attained the stage of a Stream Entrant. Thereupon she pleaded with her parents to allow her to become a nun. The parents were reluctant to part with her since, as their only child, she was slated to inherit their wealth. So, because they loved her, they tried their best to change her mind. In the end, however, they relented and, in due course, she became a nun. Her parents and relations thought that Subha would soon leave the nunnery and return to them, since she was fond of wearing fine clothes and jewelry.

Meanwhile Subha received doctrinal instructions from the nuns and observed her precepts well. She listened well when the nuns preached the Dharma and discussed doctrinal topics at length. She received instructions on meditation and meditated peacefully. Without her, the fond parents' home became a desolate place. Eventually, they talked over with friends and decided to visit the nunnery with the idea of coaxing Subha to return home. 

As they visited the nunnery, her mother began to weep, saying: "Dear daughter! Our home is a desolate place without you. Think of the lovely gold jewelry made specially for you by your father! These ornaments decorated your neck, ears, and arms! 

Once you loved to wear them! Now we have no daughter to inherit them! 

Dear daughter, we are rich with much wealth and many servants! Return and be the owner of all our wealth!" Her relations and friends made the same appeal while the mother cried.

Subha, determined to stop further appeals, tried to convince them that their appeals were in vain. She advised them with these words:

Listen well, my mother and relations.

Attired nicely as befitted a youth,

I listened to the teachings of the Lord.

In a wholesome state of mind,

I then realized the Truth.

So I left my parents who loved me,

My devoted friends and relations all,

All luxuries of a comfortable life,

Considerable wealth, lands and fields.

Craving for worldly comforts,

Does not suit my life now.

I left my homey comforts.

I shall not go there again,

I prefer a life of solitude,

Devoid of all craving.

Those fallen into the abyss of desire,

Often face disappointments,

Loss of their wealth,

Bodily hurt and even worse disasters.

Dear relations, listen to me.

Why do you try to tempt me

With all the troubles that I have left behind?

Dear friends, please realize that I am a homeless nun,

Who discerns no value in wealth!

My head is shaven;

I am clad in the robes of the Order.

Please realize my homeless mendicant state!

Living on whatever food others offer me, 

Wearing robes that others offer me, 

Living according to the precepts - 

Such is the life of a nun.

Omniscient Lord Buddha,

As well as the noble Sangha,

Have shattered all bonds of desire

To attain the freedom of liberation.

They are free and happy!

Craving and desire are frightful enemies.

Like a devastating fire, they bring

All troublesome sorrows in their wake.

Like enemies, they chose to punish us.

Sensual pleasures are a terror,

Poisoning the minds of people.

Like a poisoned dart, they pierce the pure mind,

Misleading people to danger and sin.

Pleasures of the senses are frightful,

Like a snake's head about to sting.

Those ignorant people,

Who unable to cross the mire of desire,

Wallow in the pleasures of the senses.

They see no end in birth and death,

In the vast sea of existence.

Thus craving brings forth,

Rebirth in sorrowful conditions.

Their feed are as if bound

Forever in the ocean of samsaric existence.

Greed and desire create foes,

Enticing followers to danger.

Repenting their folly,

They face endless sorrows.

Partaking of sugar-coated poisoned food,

They are happy, singing at first.

As the poison works, it brings much torment.

Suffering and disaster follow in its wake.

Therefore, dear friends and relations,

For these reasons, I do not accept

Your ideas of happiness dependent on wealth.

I have found happiness in being a nun.

Never will I accept home life again!

Even as the Noble Ones,

Who followed the Noble Eightfold Path,

Were able to cross the fearful ocean of samsara,

I shall certainly follow their steps,

To gain the bliss of nibbana.

The friends and relations who listened never tempted her again. Most of them realized the truth of her words, and were happy when they listened to her.

Meditating on peace, Subha was able to attain her goal of attaining full liberation on the eighth day after her ordination. One day, as the enlightened nun was enjoying the bliss of meditation, Lord Buddha pointed her out to the nuns who came to worship him, saying: "Nuns! Look at the nun Subha! She has been well-trained by Theri Uppalavanna. Full of faith, she has maintained mindfulness and restrained her senses. By earnest endeavor, she has gained deliverance from the bonds. Her practice has culminated in the full attainment of Arahantship. She has reached the Three Higher Knowledges. It is only eight days since she received ordination. She is indeed a credit to the Order of Nuns!" When Sakra, the king of the gods, overheard the Lord's words, he came with his retinue of heavenly beings and worshipped the enlightened nun Subha.

From: Sakyadhita Newsletter, 1994, vol.5, no.1

A WEBPAGE FOR SAKYADHITA INTERNATIONAL

“Being born is to satisfy your cravings.”

The teachings of Ajahn Suchart.

5 February 2026

“Being born is to satisfy your cravings.”

⋆ ⋆ ⋆ 

Question: What is the purpose of being born in this earth? 

Than Ajahn: There’s no purpose for being born. Being born is the result of your cravings or desires. Being born is to satisfy your cravings or desires because you need a body to see and to hear things. You have cravings to see, to hear, to touch, and to feel things, so you need to have a body. 

As soon as you lose this body, your mind will look for a new body. And when you get a new body, then you come back to do what your mind wants to do, i.e. to see, to hear, to feel, to touch. So, this is the reason why we are born. 

This is the cause of our rebirths.

According to the Wise men, being born is not good. 

Because there is not only happiness in this world, but there is also unhappiness or sadness. The nature of the happiness is temporary. 

When we lose those happiness, what’s next is sadness or unhappiness. It’s the same with the body. When the body is young, it’s strong and healthy. It can do a lot of thing, it brings a lot of happiness. But when it gets old, gets sick and dies, it brings you a lot of unhappiness. 

So, according to the Wise men, being born is not good. 

It’s better not to be reborn again. The way not to be reborn again is by getting rid of your cravings or your desires. And the way to get rid of your cravings or your desires is by practising meditation. 

There are 2 levels of meditation: calming the mind and teaching the mind that cravings are bad for you. 

Cravings will only lead you to sadness and suffering. 

Once you have developed this understanding, and developed the ability to stop your cravings, you won’t have to come back and be reborn again. 

Not being reborn doesn’t mean you disappear. 

The mind is still there but in the state where you don’t need to have a physical body to make you happy. You can be happy forever and eternally without having a physical body.

Youtube: “Dhamma in English, Nov 9, 2018.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi_BnRZmNgECsJGS31F495g

A SACRED PLACE ~ AJAHN BRAHM

A SACRED PLACE
~ AJAHN BRAHM

I keep encouraging all Buddhists to have a place in their houses, if not a room, at least a corner of their house, which is their shrine room, their religious room. I sometimes see how big people’s bathrooms are. Sometimes they’re made of marble, and they have very fancy taps and faucets. What are they used for? People use that place to clean up their bodies!

People also have these amazing kitchens, and lounge rooms, and games rooms, and playrooms, and TV rooms, and dining rooms, and huge, huge bedrooms, with on-suites. But very few houses have got a spiritual room. A room set aside just for the cultivation of Dhamma or religious practice. They don’t have a spiritual haven in their house, a place where they’re not cleaning their bodies, but they are cleaning their minds. They don’t have a place where they’re not feeding their stomach, but they are feeding their heart. I think that it is so necessary in today’s world, to have a meditation room, a shrine room – just a place of peace and silence.

If you really haven’t got a room in your house to do that, ask yourself, "Do I need all these other rooms"? 

Are they really all that important, an office and all that other stuff? Put the office in a corner of your bedroom, and put your meditation room in your office. What is more important to you? But if you haven’t got the room, at least use a corner of some quiet room, a quiet space, where you can put your Buddha statue or your pictures, and your Dhamma books. Have that as a sacred space in your house, a place where you can go at any time. After a while by sitting there regularly; chanting there, even reading Dhamma books there, it builds up power. and becomes a power spot in your house. A place where you can just sit, because the only thing you ever do there is: to meditate, to chant, to read Dhamma books, to quieten down. It becomes psychologically empowered as a place of peace.

I’ve been teaching in this way for many years now, encouraging people to build these places in their houses, or in the corners of their rooms. People have told me amazing stories of what happens when they have these quiet places. Whenever they get uptight, or tense, or have an argument with their wife, or husband, they just retreat into their quiet corner and sit down to meditate for awhile. It saves many marriages, and so much pain. One family told me once, that their young son and daughter were having an argument, a fight. The son hit the daughter, or something, smacked her one, and instead of smacking him back she ran up into her mother’s bedroom, and sat in the sacred spot and meditated for a few minutes. 

The parents were so impressed, because they had never taught her to do this. She just felt that when she was so disappointed, when she was so afraid, when she was so uptight, that that was the place to go. 

It’s marvellous for your family if you can have a place like that, so that people in your family; if not yourself, your partner or children, will have a place, a refuge, which reminds them of their inner home.

When you have a place in your house that is a sacred place, make sure you don’t use it for anything else. 

Please, respect the sacredness of that area. Don’t use it to listen to the radio or CD’s or to write books or anything else. It’s a sacred place, a place for doing nothing, a place of relaxation. Everywhere else in the world you have to strive, you have to exert control, you have to do your duties, and do the work that is expected of you. You have to endure silly people telling you to do stupid things. But the fact is that when you go to your little corner, you can be at peace there and let go. It’s your little monastery, your little refuge, the ‘Vultures Peak’ in your house, and that helps enormously. This is a bit of skilful advice for you.

Sometimes we can find a suitable place even when we are not in our own house, even when we are at our place of work. I read recently of one person who did a very skilful thing to be able to meditate at work. 

This particular person couldn’t find a place to meditate. He couldn’t sit and meditate in his office, because you know what it’s like in the world. You are sitting in your office doing nothing, and someone will come up to you and ask for your help. They will not leave you alone, because everyone is busy and they think you are not doing anything, so you must be free. Not free at peace, but free to help them. "You’re not doing anything at the moment; can you give us a hand?" They don’t realize that doing nothing by meditating is so important and valuable. People don’t respect peace in our society; they think it’s copping out. That’s why busy people tend to make other people busy because they don’t respect peacefulness. So this man decided that every hour on the hour he would close his eyes and meditate for one minute. 

It couldn’t be exactly on the hour, because if there were a telephone conversation, or a meeting with a client, or something, he would just postpone it for a while. But in every hour he would always meditate for one minute. He would close his eyes and sit there at his desk, just being still and enjoying present moment awareness, silence and breath. That’s beautiful. He just had one minute of silence and stillness. It worked so well that people walking past seeing him with his eyes closed thought he was thinking about something, or making a decision.

People didn’t know what he was doing. Because it was not for that long, they didn’t bother him. He had one minute of peace every hour at work. In his office, nobody knew what he was up to, and he got away with it. Just imagine if you went into the office and sat cross-legged in the corner, your boss would come up and say, "We are not paying you to do that, get back on the computer and work." But that didn’t happen. He just took one minute of silence in every hour at his desk; so he was continually resting. After fifty-nine minutes of hard work he took a one-minute break to collect himself, and to be still. This man found that he had a lot more mindfulness for the fifty-nine minutes that followed, and so he got much more done. He was more alert; he perceived the problems quicker, he was actually a much better worker after that one minute of silence.

Source: “Practising In The World” by Ajahn Brahmavamso

https://www.budsas.org/ebud/ebmed084.htm

📸 was taken on Oct 22, 2016 @ Jhana Grove Meditation Retreat Centre

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart.

22 July 2025

Layperson:  I’ve been contemplating on the source of dukkha and trying to look at the cravings that lead to that dukkha using your advice, look at the difference between when it arises in real time and not in real time. 

Than Ajahn:  Any time when you feel unhappy, you have dukkha. The Four Noble Truths has manifested itself already any time you feel stressful, anxious, worried, or agitated. These are all signs of dukkha. So, try to reduce your expectation in everything, not only in people or things, but also the conditions around you like the weather, the traffic, whatever objects you’re involved with. 

Don’t expect anything from them, treat them like the weather, then you won’t have so much stress and you can assimilate them into your life. 

If you try to have any wishes like wanting the traffic to be good, wanting this and that things to be good, when things are not good, you can become anxious and agitated. So, just try to flow with the world, with everything you come into contact with. Just flow with it in harmony and try not to be in conflict with anything because you cannot change it anyway. Right? 

You cannot change it when it comes. This is the way it is. 

It’s like a fixed menu so just take whatever dishes the chef gives you. 

Take it. It’s a set menu.

Life is like that—a set menu. This is what we call ‘săn-dòht’(สันโดษ). The Buddha said ‘sandosa,’ meaning just be thankful for what you get and what you have. 

Take them as they come. 

Don’t be choosy and your mind can be a lot more peaceful. As soon as you become choosy, you get into problems, ‘Oh! Whether I should take the red color or blue color? Whether I look better with red or blue?’ 

You’re just getting yourself agitated unnecessarily. Just take them. Like monks, we go on alms rounds, we don’t choose. You give me whatever you want to give. 

I’d choose based on what I get. I can choose what 

I’ve got but I cannot choose before you give me. I cannot ask you to get me pizza today or hamburger tomorrow. Ok?

Then, there will be less dukkha. 

Because your dukkha arises from you being choosy, you want this and you want that. I once read a saying, ‘Humans are stupid. They don’t know what they want. 

When it’s hot, they want it cold. When it’s cold, they want it hot. They always want something that is not there.’ 

Layperson:  Ok, that’s a good one. I’ll remember that one. 

Than Ajahn:  I think I saw it at a souvenir shop. It’s to remind people how stupid we are. We always want something that is not there. I think that’s the real Buddhist philosophy. 

Layperson:  Ok, thank you. 

“Dhamma in English, Mar 30, 2021.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

YouTube:  Dhamma in English.

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

The Teaching of Ajahn Lee

 The Teaching of Ajahn Lee

'Ajaan Lee sometimes talks about not being aware of the breath in the whole body. He sometimes recommends focusing on one spot and just staying right there .

Some people, he says, find it too distracting to deal with the breath sensations in the different parts of the body. As you're thinking about your hand, your arm, or your leg, other thoughts related to hands, arms, and legs might sneak in and carry you off someplace else.

He compares this to starting an orchard. If you plant your whole orchard all at once, using all your resources, you may find that you've overextended yourself. You're faced with a drought for several days, the trees all die, and you end up with nothing.

In cases like that, it's smarter to start out with one little area and to focus on planting just that, caring for that. Say you plant a mango tree. You care for it for a couple years, and then when they give their first crop of mangoes, you collect the seeds and plant them. The same with the second crop. That way you gradually enlarge your orchard until you fill your whole plot of land.

So if you find that focusing on the breath here and there in the beginning of the meditation gets you distracted, just focus down on one spot and stay right there. Tell yourself: You're not going anywhere else.

You may want to use the word buddho to help keep things under control. But just use one spot in the body: It might be right between your eyes, the middle of the forehead, wherever you feel is closest to the center of your awareness in the body. You stare right down, right there.

The one warning is that you not tighten up around that spot. Think of the area as being open and free flowing. In other words, the blood can flow in, the blood can flow out. Energy flows in, energy flows out, but you are not moving. You're going to stay right here. No matter what happens, you're going to stay right in this one little spot. That can gather the mind together and keep it there. You're not trying to take care of too many things at once.'

From "One Point, Two Points, Many Points" in Meditations 4