“Teaching the mind to stop thinking is Dhamma.”
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Question (M): I did Ānāpānasati for one hour this
morning and my mind started to think about Dhamma. In this case what do I have
to do? Do I have to go back to Ānāpānasati or can I let my mind think about
Dhamma?
Than Ajahn: It depends on what you want. If you want
the mind to be still, then you should not think. You should stop your thinking
by focusing on your breath. Both, being still and thinking of Dhamma, are
important.
However, being calm and still are the first step you
should master. If you haven’t mastered this step, you should not worry about
thinking about Dhamma.
Thinking of the Dhamma is the second step to do. So,
the first step is to be able to stop your mind because if you cannot stop your
mind, when you think of the Dhamma, you cannot apply it to your mind.
Teaching the mind to stop thinking is Dhamma. If you
don’t have the ability to stop the mind, then it’s useless to have the Dhamma
to teach you. Dhamma teaches you the reason why you should stop thinking. It’s
because everything you do hurts you more than helps you. You don’t see this
truth.
Therefore, you first have to learn how to stop your
mind. Once you know how to stop your mind, then you study the Dhamma to find
out why you have to stop it. It’s because stopping the mind is better than not
stopping it.
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
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