No. 438. AJAHN CHAH’S FINAL MESSAGE

 No. 438. AJAHN CHAH’S FINAL MESSAGE

Ajahn Sumedho had been in England for a few years when a letter arrived from Thailand. Even though Luang Por Ajahn Chah could read and write, he rarely did. In fact, he hardly wrote anything, and he never wrote letters. The message began with a note from a fellow Western monk. 

It said: "Well, Ajahn Sumedho, you are not going to believe 

this, but Luang Por decided he wanted to write you a letter, so he asked me to take his dictation.’

 The message from Ajahn Chah was very brief, and this is what it said:

"Whenever you have feelings of love or hate for anything whatsoever, these will be your aides and partners in building parami. 

The Buddha-Dharma is not to be found in moving forwards, nor in moving backwards, nor in standing still.

This Sumedho, is your place of non-abiding."

It still gives me goose bumps. 

A few weeks later, Ajahn Chah had a stroke and became unable to speak, walk, or move. His verbal teaching career was over. This letter contained his final instructions. 

Ajahn Chah was well aware of all the tasks and difficulties involved in establishing a monastery, having done this many times himself. One would think that when he offered advice, it would be along the lines of, "Do this, don't do that, and always remember to…’

 But no, none of that; this was not Ajahn Chah’s way. He simply said, “The Buddha-Dharma is not to be found in moving forwards, nor in moving backwards, nor in standing still.’ 

Recounted by Ajahn  Amaro

No. 437 - The Teachings of Venerable Aggacitta

No. 437 - The Teachings of Venerable Aggacitta 

Reaping Merits Again and Again

~ By Ven Aggacitta

Normally on weekdays we go for pindacara, starting our walk down the hill at about 7.15am, to collect our food, walk back up again, and have our lunch before noon. 

[Note: Most people understand pindapata to mean begging for alms. Strictly speaking however, pindapata means “alms food” while pindacara means “walking for alms”.] 

It is an age-old tradition for monks to walk for alms. Although we are not following it to the letter, since our pindacara is pre-arranged according to a fixed plan, benefits still accrue: 

The daily walk down and up the hill is good exercise for us monks, who do not normally do manual work, to keep us physically fit. 

The daily event of pindacara at the same place is a means to spread the Dhamma to more people who are curious when they pass the place and see the daily routine. 

Instead of having cooking done in SBS for the monks, we go down to collect our food, taking only what we need. After that, those devotees present help themselves to the remainder. In this way, any excess food benefits others and there is no unnecessary wastage.

Recently we have added another routine to our usual Sunday pindacara. Normally, we have pindacara at 11am, after which we give a Dhamma talk . Now, before we do this, we go for an earlier round of pindacara in the morning markets and hawker centres in and around Taiping at about 8am. This morning we went to the Pokok Assam market. This is because of two main reasons: 

Begging for alms gives the public an opportunity to do dana and reap merits. 

It serves to educate people on the proper way of giving offerings to monks.

I’m sure you are all aware of people dressed in monk’s robes plying their rounds in the markets and accepting money in their bowls. 

In Malaysia, the generosity of the Chinese and Hindu communities is such that it has encouraged more such ‘monks’ to earn money in this way, including those from neighbouring countries. This is so in spite of negative reports in the newspapers about these exploiters. People continue to give, thinking it brings merits, and the exploiters continue to make their rounds. 

Last year, one of our monks used to go to the markets for pindacara every morning. 

Consequently, this discouraged the exploiters from presenting themselves. 

Then he left for Myanmar to further his own practice and these exploiters have reappeared. 

When we go on pindacara rounds in the markets we are accompanied by laymen who will explain to people who try to put money in our bowls that monks do not accept money, but they may buy some food to offer. So we are actually giving people practical education of the right way to do dana. However, these exploiters do not give up easily and it seems that now they go from house to house to collect their alms money. There was an incident in which someone offered a bun to one of these exploiters who came to her house. Later she found the bun in her dustbin! 

Some people who are new to Buddhism may wonder what we do with so much food. Well, apart from the two main reasons I spoke of just now, I would like to quote what the Dalai Lama said on the subject. He said that monks do not need so much food but people need the merits. 

It happens all over the world - monks receive more than they need. The high-ranking monks in Myanmar and Thailand use the excess donations to build hospitals, schools and other such projects. On our part, after taking what we need, we give the rest to the orphanage. 

I would like to refer to a sutta on this subject from the Samyutta Nikaya. It is the Udaya Sutta in the Brahmana Samyutta collection. In it, we are told that the Buddha went to the house of a brahmin named Udaya on his early morning alms-round. 

The brahmin was happy to see him and put food in the Buddha’s bowl. 

On the second occasion, Udaya repeated his offering. On the third time, he was annoyed when he saw the Buddha and commented, “This pesky ascetic Gotama keeps coming again and again.” 

The Buddha replied with the following verse : 

Again and again they sow the seed 

Again and again the sky god sends down rain 

Again and again the ploughmen plough the fields 

Again and again rain comes to the kingdom. 

Again and again the mendicants beg 

Again and again the donors give 

When donors have given again and again 

Again and again they go to heaven. 

Again and again the dairy folk draw milk 

Again and again the calf goes to the mother 

Again and again one wearies and trembles 

Again and again the dolt enters the womb. 

Again and again one is born and dies 

Again and again they take one to the cemetery. 

When one has obtained the Path 

That leads to no more renewed existence. 

Having become broad in wisdom 

One is not born again and again!

When the brahmin heard this he was pleased and took refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha for life. 

This is why we go for alms-round again and again. So I hope you will also come to SBS again and again. SBS is a monk-training centre. We believe that there are many Buddhists in Malaysia who need well-qualified monks to guide them and there is a shortage of them in Malaysia. 

Monks do not only give you a chance to gain merits. A monk who is properly trained and who understands and practises the Vinaya rules is a good field of merits, as opposed to one who is an impostor and exploits you for his own selfish ends. A monk depends on his supporters for his sustenance. His basic responsibility is to perfect his sila so that his supporters receive great merits. On top of this, when he purifies his mind through meditation, his field of merits is better. Then when he studies and gains knowledge, he can help devotees to put Buddhist principles into practice as well as teach them meditation. 

There are many temples around as well as monks to perform rites and rituals. 

Buddhists should not rest content on just rites and rituals but should learn more about Dhamma to improve their lives. 

Here in SBS we are trying to train young people to fulfil these roles of the Sangha so that they can pass on the benefits to lay people. 

Like you, Ven Balacitta, who is translating this talk into Cantonese for you, comes from Kepong. I hope when he is fully trained, he can go back to Kepong and fulfil the roles of the Sangha I have talked about. 

He can teach you the Dhamma in the language you can understand. 

So I hope you will follow the Buddha’s advice to do merits again and again.

Sadhu ........ Sadhu ........ Sadhu .........

No.436 _The Teachings of Ajahn Suchart Sphichato

 No.436 _The Teachings of Ajahn Suchart Sphichato

Mon, 21 April 2025

"Practitioners must seek a place of sufficiency for meditation."

A place where we are alone will facilitate meditation. It is free from form, sound, smell, taste, and touch that will stimulate the mind to think and fabricate. If we are at home and see various things, we will not be able to stop thinking, worrying, and worrying, making meditation difficult. Therefore, he taught us to find a quiet and secluded place. This is to restrain the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and body, not allowing form, sound, smell, taste, and touch to disturb the mind. 

The word "sufficiency" means comfortable. Practitioners must seek a place of sufficiency for meditation. The mind will be easily calmed. A quiet and secluded place, free from hustle and bustle, people, and noise, and the people you are with must be sufficiency. 

Do not quarrel. Everyone lives separately, does not interfere or disturb each other. 

Food and air also affect meditation. It can be convenient or difficult. If the food does not suit the body, it will make you sick. This is not sufficiency. It does not mean food that is not to your taste or taste, but food that is a problem for the body. The air also plays a part. Too hot or too cold can be a problem. 

The most important thing that cannot be missed is mindfulness. We must have mindfulness to control the mind at all times. Do not let your mind wander. It is like a dog that must be tied to a pole so that it does not go anywhere. But if it is not tied, it will wander around. It is tiring to find it. If the mind thinks carelessly and does not control itself, it will be distracted and various emotions will arise. If you have mindfulness and tie it to the Buddha or to what you are doing, whatever you do, stay with that action. 

When walking, be aware that you are walking. When eating, be aware of eating. If you are still thinking about this and that, you must also recite the Buddha. Do not let it think about anything else. Just think about the Buddha. If you do this, you will draw the mind close to you, close to peace. 

When you meditate, focus on the Buddha or your breath. The mind will not go anywhere else. It will not be long before it can be brought together. There are many factors, both external and internal, that practitioners must know. They must know how to create factors that are conducive to meditation. 

Externally, they must have supplies. Internally, they must have mindfulness. They must restrain their senses. They must be isolated. They must know the amount of food they eat. Eating too much will make them lazy and sleepy. Sitting will make them fall asleep. 

They must observe the Eight Precepts and reduce their food intake. If they are still sleepy, they must eat only one meal a day. At first, I observed the 8 precepts and did not eat after noon, but I was still sleepy, so I had to reduce it to only one meal. If I was still sleepy after one meal, I forced myself to eat only 5 or 10 bites and then stop. If I was still sleepy, I would abstain. These are the factors that support the practice. There are quiet and secluded places, mindfulness, knowing the limits of eating, not mingling, not being in a secluded place, and talking for hours when meeting other people. This is not right. If you are in a secluded place, you must not mingle with others. Find a suitable place, restrain your eyes, ears, nose, tongue and body. If you can do this, your meditation will definitely progress.

Phra Ajahn Suchart Aphichato

No. 435 _ Up to Ten for making an end of suffering

 

No. 435 _ Up to Ten for making an end of suffering

---

Long Discourses 34

Dīgha Nikāya 34 Dasuttarasutta

 

- Part 1 of 2 -

 

Groups of One to Groups of Five

 

... Sāriputta addressed the mendicants :

“Reverends, mendicants, I will relate the teachings

up to 10 for attaining extinguishment,

for making an end of suffering,

the release from all ties.

 

1. Groups of One

 

A. one thing is helpful,

B. one thing should be developed,

C. one thing should be completely understood,

D. one thing should be given up,

E. one thing makes things worse,

F. one thing leads to distinction,

G. one thing is hard to comprehend,

H. one thing should be produced,

I. one thing should be directly known,

L. one thing should be realized.

 

A.

What one thing is helpful ?

Diligence in skillful qualities.

[Appamādo kusalesu dhammesu.]

 

B.

What one thing should be developed ?

Mindfulness of the body that is full of pleasure.

[Kāya-gatā sati sāta-sahagatā.]

 

C.

What one thing should be completely understood ?

Contact, which is accompanied by defilements and is prone to fuel grasping.

[Phasso sāsavo upādāniyo.]

 

D.

What one thing should be given up ?

The conceit ‘I am’.

[Asmi-māno.]

 

E.

What one thing makes things worse ?

Irrational application of mind.

[A-yoniso-mana-sikāro.]

 

F.

What one thing leads to distinction ?

Rational application of mind.

[Yoniso-mana-sikāro.]

 

G.

What one thing is hard to comprehend ?

The heart’s immersion of immediate result.

[Ān-antar'iko ceto-samādhi.]

 

H.

What one thing should be produced ?

Unshakable knowledge.

[Akuppaṃ ñāṇaṃ.]

 

I.

What one thing should be directly known ?

All sentient beings are sustained by food.

[Sabbe sattā āhāra-ṭ-ṭhitikā.]

 

L.

What one thing should be realized ?

The unshakable release of the heart.

[Akuppā ceto-vimutti.]

 

So these 10 things that are true, real and accurate, not unreal, not otherwise were rightly understood by the Realized One.

 

2. Groups of Two

 

A. Two things are helpful,

etc.

 

A.

What two things are helpful ?

Mindfulness and situational awareness.

[Sati ca sampajaññaṃ ca.]

 

B.

What two things should be developed ?

Serenity and discernment.

[Samatho ca vipassanā ca.]

 

C.

What two things should be completely understood ?

Name and form.

[Nāmañ ca rūpañ ca.]

 

D.

What two things should be given up ?

Ignorance and craving for continued existence.

[Avijjā ca bhava-taṇhā ca.]

 

E.

What two things make things worse ?

Being hard to admonish and having bad friends.

[Dovacassatā ca,

pāpa-mittatā ca. ]

 

F.

What two things lead to distinction ?

Being easy to admonish and having good friends.

[Sovacassatā ca kalyāṇa-mittatā ca.]

 

G.

What two things are hard to comprehend ?

What are the causes and reasons for the corruption of sentient beings and what are the causes and reasons for the purification of sentient beings.

[Yo ca hetu yo ca paccayo sattāṇaṃ saṅkilesāya,

yo ca hetu yo ca paccayo sattāṇaṃ visuddhiyā.]

 

H.

What two things should be produced ?

Two knowledges: knowledge of ending and knowledge of non-arising.

[Dve ñāṇāni:

Khaye ñāṇaṃ,

anuppāde ñāṇaṃ.]

 

I.

What two things should be directly known ?

Two elements: the conditioned element and the unconditioned element.

[Dve dhātuyo:

saṅkhatā ca dhātu,

asaṅkhatā ca dhātu.]

 

L.

What two things should be realized ?

Knowledge and freedom.

[Vijjā ca

vimutti ca.]

 

So these 20 things that are true, real and accurate, not unreal, not otherwise were rightly understood by the Realized One.

 

3. Groups of Three

 

A. Three things are helpful,

etc.

 

A.

What three things are helpful ?

Associating with true persons, listening to the true teaching and practicing in line with the teaching.

 

B.

What three things should be developed ?

Three kinds of Immersion :

1. Immersion with placing the mind and keeping it connected

2. Immersion without placing the mind, merely keeping it connected

3. Immersion without placing the mind or keeping it connected.

 

C.

What three things should be completely understood ?

Three feelings :

- pleasant,

- painful,

- neutral.

 

D.

What three things should be given up ?

Three cravings :

- craving for sensual pleasures,

- craving for continued existence,

- craving to end existence.

 

E.

What three things make things worse ?

Three unskillful roots :

- greed,

- hate,

- delusion.

 

F.

What three things lead to distinction ?

Three skillful roots :

- contentment,

- love,

- understanding.

 

G.

What three things are hard to comprehend ?

Three Elements of escape :

1. Renunciation is the escape from sensual pleasures,

2. the Formless is the escape from form,

3.Cessation is the escape from whatever is created, conditioned and dependently originated.

 

H.

What three things should be produced ?

Three knowledges :

1. knowledge regarding the past portion,

2. the future portion,

3. the present portion.

 

I.

What three things should be directly known ?

Three elements :

- sensuality,

- form,

- formlessness.

 

L.

What three things should be realized ?

Three knowledges :

1. recollection of past lives,

2.knowledge of the death and rebirth of sentient beings,

3. knowledge of the ending of defilements.

 

So these 30 things that are true, real and accurate, not unreal, not otherwise were rightly understood by the Realized One.

 

4. Groups of Four

 

A. Four things are helpful,

etc.

 

A.

What four things are helpful ?

Four situations :

- living in a suitable region,

- relying on true persons,

- being rightly resolved in oneself,

-past merit.

 

B.

What four things should be developed ?

The four kinds of mindfulness meditation :

1. a mendicant meditates by observing an aspect of the body

—keen, aware and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world—

2. they meditate observing an aspect of feelings …

3. mind …

4. principles …

—keen, aware and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world—

 

C.

What four things should be completely understood ?

Four foods :

- solid food, whether solid or subtle;

- contact is the second food,

- mental intention the third food,

- consciousness the fourth food.

 

D.

What four things should be given up ?

Four floods :

- sensuality,

- desire for rebirth,

- views,

- ignorance.

 

E.

What four things make things worse ?

Four yokes :

- the yokes of sensuality,

- desire for rebirth,

- views,

- ignorance.

 

F.

What four things lead to distinction ?

Four kinds of unyoking, unyoking from the yokes of :

-sensuality,

- desire for rebirth,

- views,

- ignorance.

 

G.

What four things are hard to comprehend ?

Four kinds of immersion :

1. immersion liable to decline,

2. stable immersion,

3. immersion that leads to distinction,

4. immersion that leads to penetration.

 

H.

What four things should be produced ?

Four knowledges :

1. knowledge of the present phenomena,

2. inferential knowledge,

3. knowledge of others’ minds,

4. conventional knowledge.

 

I.

What four things should be directly known ?

The four noble truths :

1. suffering,

2. the origin of suffering,

3. the cessation of suffering,

4. the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering.

 

L.

What four things should be realized ?

Four fruits of the ascetic life :

1. stream-entry,

2. once-return,

3. non-return,

4. perfection.

 

So these 40 things that are true, real and accurate, not unreal, not otherwise were rightly understood by the Realized One.

 

5. Groups of Five

 

A. Five things are helpful,

etc.

 

A.

What five things are helpful ?

Five factors that support meditation :

1. a mendicant has faith in the Realized One’s Awakening, ‘That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those who wish to train, Teacher of Gods and humans, awakened, blessed.’

...

 

B.

What five things should be developed ?

Right immersion with five factors :

1. pervasion with rapture,

2. pervasion with pleasure,

3. pervasion with mind,

4. pervasion with light,

5. the basis for reviewing.

 

C.

What five things should be completely understood ?

Five grasping aggregates :

- form,

- feeling,

- perception,

- choices,

- consciousness.

 

D.

What five things should be given up ?

Five hindrances :

- sensual desire,

- ill will,

- dullness

- drowsiness,

- restlessness and remorse,

- doubt.

 

E.

What five things make things worse ?

Five kinds of hard-heartedness :

1. Firstly, a mendicant has doubts about the Teacher. They’re uncertain, undecided, and lacking confidence.

This being so, their mind doesn’t incline toward keenness, commitment, persistence and striving.

This is the first kind of hard-heartedness.

2. furthermore, a mendicant has doubts about the teaching …

3. the Saṅgha …

4. the training …

5. a mendicant is angry and upset with their spiritual companions, resentful and closed off.

This being so, their mind doesn’t incline toward keenness, commitment, persistence and striving. This is the fifth kind of hard-heartedness.

 

No.434 - The Teachings of Ajahn Brahm

 No.434 - The Teachings of Ajahn Brahm 

I like to use the simile for mindfulness of a person who's guarding a door or guarding a gate. 

The simile of the gatekeeper to describe mindfulness was used by the Buddha (AN VII, 63). For mindfulness is not just being aware, being awake, or being fully conscious of what's occurring around you. There is also that aspect of mindfulness that guides the awareness on to specific areas, remembers the instructions and initiates a response. For example, suppose you were a wealthy person with a gatekeeper guarding your mansion. One evening, before going to the Buddhist Temple to practise meditation, you tell the gatekeeper to be mindful of burglars. When you return home, your loving kindness suddenly vanishes when you find your house has been burgled. 

"Didn't I tell you to be mindful?", you scream at the gatekeeper. "But I was mindful", pleads the gatekeeper. "I gave attention to the burglars as they broke in, and I was clearly attentive as they walked out with your digital T.V. and state-of-the-art C.D. system. I mindfully watched them go in several times, and my mind did not wander as I observed them going out with all your antique furniture and priceless jewellery…"

 

 Would you be happy with such a gatekeeper's explanation of mindfulness? A wise gatekeeper knows that mindfulness is more than bare attention. A wise gatekeeper has to remember the instructions and perform them with diligence. If he sees a thief trying to break in then he must stop the burglar, or else call in the police.

 

 In the same way, a wise meditator must do more than just give bare attention to whatever comes in and goes out of the mind. The wise meditator must remember the instructions and act on them with diligence. For instance, the Buddha gave the instruction of the 6th Factor of the Noble Eightfold Path, "Right Effort." When wise meditators practising mindfulness observe an unwholesome state trying to "break in", they try to stop the defilement, and if the unwholesome state does slip in, they try to evict it. Unwholesome states such as sexual desire or anger are like burglars, sweet-talking con artists, who will rob you of your peace, wisdom and happiness. There are, then, these two aspects of mindfulness: the aspect of mindfulness of awareness and the aspect of mindfulness of remembering the instructions.

 

 In the Buddhist Suttas, the same Pali word "Sati" is used for both awareness and memory. A person who has got good mindfulness is also a person who has got a good memory, because these two things go together. If we pay attention to what we are doing, if we are fully aware of what we are doing, this awareness creates an imprint in our mind. It becomes easy to remember. For example suppose you're in danger. Suppose you come very close to having a serious car accident. Because of this danger, your mindfulness would become extremely strong and sharp. And because of that sharpness of mindfulness in a potential accident, you would remember it very easily, very clearly. In fact, when you went back home to sleep that night you might not be able to forget it. It might keep coming back up again and again. This shows the connection between awareness and memory. The more you are paying attention to what you're doing, the better you remember it. Again, these two things go together: awareness and memory.

Source: The Quality of Mindfulness

by AJAHN BRAHM

[http://www.dhammatalks.net/Books/Ajahn_Brahm_The_Quality_of_Mindfulness.htm](http://www.dhammatalks.net/Books/Ajahn_Brahm_The_Quality_of_Mindfulness.htm)

#ajahnbrahm #meditation #mindfulness

No.433 - The Teachings of Ajahn Suchart - The 10 Ways of making merits/

 No.433 - The Teachings of Ajahn Suchart

Tue, 8 Apr 2025

Layperson :  Than Ajahn, I heard you talked about 10 ways to make merits.

Than Ajahn :  10 ways of making yourself happy are:

1.  Give to charity (dāna). When you give dāna, you’ll feel happy especially when you give dāna for a good cause, like helping someone to have a better life, helping someone to alleviate one’s hardship. This will make you feel good. You will feel happy when you do it. 

  

2.  Keep the precepts will also make you happy because when you keep the precepts, you know that you don’t hurt anybody. 

3.  Practise bhāvanā (meditation) will make you happy. 

4.  Sharing merits. After you’ve made merits from giving dāna, then you can dedicate part of the merits to the deceased, to spiritual beings e.g. sharing merits to the people you love like your parents who have passed away. Since you can’t give them money because they are gone, you can, at least, give them merits that you’ve made.

5.  Appreciate other people’s good actions (anumodanā). When people do good things, you are joyful for their good actions, then you will also feel good. Rather than say, ‘Oh! That person is just showing off to the world about what he/she has done’, you should say, ‘Ok, he/she is very generous, I appreciate his/her action.’ 

Then you’d feel happy with him/her. 

Or, when you see any organisation like the Red Cross helping people during the war, you’d say, ’Oh yes, I really appreciate what the organisation does.’ And you are also happy with its action, or you may want to contribute by donating some money to the organisation. This is also one of the ways to make yourself happy.

6.  Be humble. When you are humble, you don’t have to show how good or how rich you are. 

Just be humble. You don’t have to prove anything to anybody. This can also make you happy. If you want to prove that ‘I’m great, I’m smart’, when people don’t appreciate what you are trying to prove, instead of being happy, you can get angry. So it’s better to just be humble, to practise humility. Also, being humble will not hurt other people. People don’t like arrogant people. 

People like humble people because humble people don’t create any bad feelings for other people. 

7.  To serve others. You might not have money to give to other people, but you might be able to give your time to serve the community, do a public service, for instance. Or, just help someone next door. For example, you help an old lady who needs to go to the hospital, or help mowing the lawn for her.  Serving others is also a way to make yourself happy. 

8.  To have Right View (sammādiṭṭhi). 

Right View is having the right view of how to make yourself happy. Giving dāna, keeping the precepts are considered to be having Right View. 

Some people have the wrong view. 

They think in order to be happy, they have to buy a new car, new clothes, new house, or a yacht. If they do this, they would be happy for a few days, and then they would have problems because they have to look after the things they’ve bought. If anything goes wrong with the things they own, it would cause them a headache. So if you have Right View, you won’t go buy all those things. You will give your money to charity instead, in order to make yourself really happy, have no dukkha. Because once you give away your money, then that’s it. Right? But if you buy something, then you have to look after the things you’ve bought. 

So having Right View is one of the ways to make yourself happy. 

9.  If you don’t have Right View now, then you have to study the teachings of the Buddha, listen to Dhamma talks so that you can have Right View. 

Listen to Dhamma talks is also a way of making yourself happy because when you listen to Dhamma talks, you know what’s good and what’s bad, what’s right and wrong, and then you can stop doing th…

No. 432 -The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart

No.  432  -The Teaching of Ajahn Suchart

Wed, 9 April 2025

Question :  I recently heard the Thai phrase ‘Dhamma jàt săn’ (ธรรมะจัดสรร), could Ajahn please explain what this means?

Than Ajahn :  I use this word as Dhamma provider. Dhamma is the provider of everything. 

Whatever happens to you, whatever situations that lead you do things is considered to be ‘Dhamma jàt săn’. Dhamma provides you, lets you do things. It isn’t your own volition, not your own desire. But the Dhamma, the circumstances, is the one that initiates or brings things to you. You don’t have to go look for them. If it’s the time for you to have them, they will come to you. This is what I mean by ‘Dhamma jàt săn’. ‘Jàt săn’ means things being arranged for you. 

Dhamma is the arranger of things. Everything that happens to you, everything that you do, you do by ‘Dhamma jàt săn’, not by volition. 

Normally, without upekkhā, we tend to do things out of our volition, out of our desires or cravings. But if you have strong equanimity or strong upekkhā, you can let Dhamma arranges things for you, which is better because this is the natural way. You don’t have to go look for things. They come to you. You don’t have to look for things to do. There will be things for you to do. So this is what I mean by ‘Dhamma jàt săn’. 

Like what I’m doing [teaching] to you right now, it’s considered to be ‘Dhamma jàt săn’ because I have never planned to do this at all in my life time. Things just happen. When things just happen by themselves, this is what’s called ‘Dhamma jàt săn’. I hope this explains what I mean by ‘Dhamma jàt săn’. ‘Jàt săn’ means (the act of) arranging. Dhamma means nature. ‘Dhamma jàt săn’: the natural way of things; things come to you without you having to go look for them. 

“Dhamma in English, Dec 5, 2021.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

YouTube:  Dhamma in English.

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

#ajahnsuchartabhijato #dhamma

No.431 - THE FOUR GREAT KINGS

 No.431 - THE FOUR GREAT KINGS

~ By: Ven. Aggacitta 

 

Who are the Four Great kings? 

The Four Great Kings are commonly associated with Taoism and are better known as guardian deities of Chinese Buddhist temples. They are also found in the Tipitaka and referred to as Cattaro Maharaja (Four Great Kings). 

They are not given emphasis in the Theravada traditions of Sri Lanka, Thai and Myanmar. 

They take their place in Theravada cosmology as kings who rule the four quarters of the lowest (sixth) deva realm (there are 6 deva realms altogether) namely: 

North: King Vessavana who holds an umbrella and controls the yakkhas (fierce devas). 

East: King Dhatarattha who holds a mandolin and controls the gandhabbas (celestial deva musicians). 

South: King Virulhaka who holds a sword and controls the kumbhandas (potbelly devas). 

West: King Virupakkha who holds a snake and controls the nagas (serpentine devas). 

They are also known as the Guardian Kings because they undertook to protect the Buddha at the moment of conception in his mother’s womb. 

In the Catumaharaja Sutta (AN III.37), we are told that the Four Kings, their sons and ministers survey the world on certain fixed days of each month to see whether human beings observe the following: 

pay respect to parents, monks, Brahmins and family elders 

8 precepts on the 1st and 15th of the lunar month 

perform meritorious deeds 

The Four Kings will then announce their findings to the Tavatimsa devas (the devas of the fifth deva realm). 

What is the connection between the Atanatiya Sutta and the Four Great Kings? 

According to the Atanatiya Sutta, the Kings approached the Lord Buddha when he was staying in Vulture’s Peak near Rajagaha. King Vessavana, the spokesman, told him that the majority of yakkhas neither respected nor had faith in him, as they did not observe the five precepts . 

In order to instil faith in such yakkhas, the Kings offered the Atanatiya Sutta to the Buddha to be used by bhikkhus and bhikkhunis, as well as lay disciples for their protection and comfortable living in respect of malicious spirits. 

King Vessavana said that any evil spirit who disturbed a bhikkhu, bhikkhuni or lay disciple who had mastered the paritta verses of the Atanatiya Sutta would be denied privileges and be punished. 

The Atanatiya Paritta forms only part of the Atanatiya Sutta and comprises 51 verses. 

These verses revere the seven Buddhas, and describe each of the Great Kings, their kingdoms and their subjects’ reverence for the Lord Gotama Buddha. The complete Atanatiya Sutta comprises these 51 verses as well as an invocation to the yakkha generals to punish any evil spirit who stubbornly continues to harass a Buddhist. 

To free a Buddhist from an evil spirit, the Atanatiya Sutta should only be recited as a last resort after trying to do so through the recitation of the Metta Sutta, the Dhajagga Sutta and the Ratana Sutta—and even then only by knowledgeable members of the Sangha. Special preparations have to be made before the Atanatiya Sutta is recited. These are detailed in the booklet, Discourse on Atanatiya Protection, which is published by us for free distribution. In it, only the 51 verses comprising the paritta chanting are given in Pali. 

Today, as part of the consecration ceremony, the members of the Sangha will recite practically the whole Atanatiya Sutta in Pali. When a brass gong is sounded, all devotees present are encouraged to join in the recitation of the Atanatiya Paritta. 

All Buddhists can freely recite the Atanatiya Paritta at any time for their protection from evil spirits. May interested Buddhists learn and master the Atanatiya Paritta for their protection, freedom from harm as well as comfortable living with respect to evil spirits.

Sadhu ....... 

Sadhu ....... 

Sadhu .......

Atanatiya Sutta

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/dn/dn.32.0.piya.html

Atanatiya Paritta

https://youtu.be/kjh5vNQ3Ro8

#bhanteaggacitta #fourgreatkings #taoism #tipitaka #theravada #devarealm

#kingvessavana #kingdhatarattha #kingvirulhaka #kingvirupakkha #atanatiyaparitta #atanatiyasutta

430. The Teachings of Phra Surawat Khemachitto (Ajahn Golf)

 430. The Teachings of Phra Surawat Khemachitto (Ajahn Golf) - Regret Arising During Meditation》

At the beginning of our meditation practice, it’s common to recall past wrongdoings, this is natural.

When we develop mindfulness, our hearts become more conscientious. We reflect on our unskillful actions of body, speech, and mind, and feelings of remorse (kukkucca) and moral shame (hiri-ottappa) emerge.

Take the example of Aṅgulimāla from the Buddha's time. When he ordained and meditated, the memories of his past killings surfaced vividly. This shows that with mindfulness, we see our past actions clearly—whether right or wrong.

Without mindfulness, however, our judgment of our own conduct remains unclear.

The Buddha taught us not to dwell on the past. Past events should only serve as our teachers to develop wisdom. We should cut off attachment to past memories since they cannot be changed. They should only serve as memories for developing wisdom, and we should abide in the present Dhamma. After hearing the Buddha's teachings, Aṅgulimāla was eventually became an arahant.

It's similar to my own experience. When I meditate, I also recall the mischievous and unwholesome deeds I did in the past. Until one day, I saw an image of my mother visiting me in prison. In that scene, my mother was crying when she visited me in jail. During meditation, my whole body trembled naturally.

I wondered why this happened? Then realized it was because of the fear of unwholesome kamma, i.e. the unwholesome kamma of causing my parents' sorrow. This fear made my body tremble.

Then I remembered the Buddha's teaching that the past is gone and cannot be changed. The most important thing is the present. We should focus on doing good deeds in the present, accumulating merits in the here and now. Hearing that meditation brings the greatest merit, so I devoted myself wholeheartedly to practice.

I made a determination: having caused my parents to suffer as if dragging them to hell while still alive. Now, I will transform myself, so they may ascend to heaven while still alive.

In the past, when my mother thought of me, she felt pain because she worried about me doing bad things, losing something, or even dying. But now, I have been able to make her happy when she thinks of me. She smiles when she thinks of me because she sees her child has been a monk for so long, has become an abbot, and has done many things for the benefit of others. I believe I have made my mother happy enough to ascend to heaven.

I realized that if I tried to repay my mother with worldly wealth, it would only benefit this life. 

But now, I have taught my mother how to practice generosity (dāna), observe precepts (sīla), and meditate (bhāvanā). With these noble wealth, she can benefit not only in this life but also achieve heavenly realms and nibbāna. Giving her the wealth of nibbāna is truly repaying the debt of gratitude to parents.

When we can share noble wealth with others, sharing the Dhamma, this wealth of Dhamma is inexhaustible. The Buddha said that the gift of Dhamma surpasses all gifts.

So when we meditate and recall past wrongdoings, we shouldn't be afraid. Instead, we should focus on improving ourselves and becoming better.

---Ajahn Golf 阿贊高爾夫 อาจารย์กอล์ฟ. Phra Surawat Khemachitto (Ajahn Golf)

13/12/2023 @ 菩提心园Penang Bodhi Heart Sanctuary, George Town, Pulau Penang, Malaysia

摘錄自 Excerpted from：

https://www.facebook.com/100087367309533/videos/886307866129924

429. The Teachings of Ajahn Suchart

 429.  The Teachings of Ajahn Suchart

Fri, 4 April 2025

Q&A

Question:  Certain laymen claim to have reached higher mental levels such as sotāpanna, sakadāgāmī, anāgāmī, arahant. Will a person who has truly achieved such advanced mental levels make public announcements?

Than Ajahn:  Usually not. Because he/she is smart enough to know that it is safer for him/her just to keep quiet. If he/she has to say anything, he/she will just say how to practise and how to achieve it. There is no need to claim oneself as making such and such achievement because someone who has achieved high attainment is not hungry for fame anymore. If you are still hungry for fame, then this is your defilement. So usually an ariya (one who has gain the ariya attainment) tends to keep quiet.

If he speaks, he only speaks about the path, the practice, and the achievement without mentioning oneself because he knows that whatever he says will be subjected to scrutiny and it is hard to prove to people who have no way of knowing. 

So it is useless to tell people that you have achieved a certain level.

It is not productive. It can be more harmful than good. It is probably better just to keep quiet because if you have truly attained, you have contentment, you are not hungry for fame, praise, or for anything from other people. You are happy as you are, so you don’t need to do or say anything to gain more benefits.

Question:  Is it possible to ascertain whether a person has attained any four stages of awakening (sotāpanna, sakadāgāmī, anāgāmī, arahant) by outward appearance and behaviour?

Than Ajahn:  Partially, not completely. 

To be certain, you have to ask the person what kind of achievement the person has achieved. And this is not stated in the scriptures. It is something that you find out through your practice, and only those who practise will understand, will know. If someone just tells others that ‘I have let go of my attachment, my fetters’, this is merely scripture-reading statement. But if you can explain what it means, then you can be certain of it.

If you yourself want to ascertain or find out whether someone has attained any enlightenment, you yourself have to already achieve enlightenment. If you have not achieved enlightenment, you will not be able to tell whether the person is speaking the truth or not. So yes, it is like this. If you have passed a certain type of examination, you can talk to another person about the same type of examination whether he has passed that examination. If he says ‘Yes,’ then you can ask him [about the exam] to make sure that he really has passed the examination. Because you have already passed the examination, so you know what the questions are like. 

So in order to ascertain someone’s attainments, you first have to attain to that level yourself before you can question or interview that person.

Question:  What does it mean to be a true Buddhist? How would you define a true Buddhist? What should be his key virtues?

Than Ajahn:  First, he has to have absolute faith in the Buddha and the Dhamma. He believes in the teachings of the Buddha, Dhamma, and the Sangha only, not other teachings. If other teachings do not contradict the Buddha’s teachings, if he would like to study them like studying physics or mathematics, that’s okay.  But these (other teachings) should not contradict the teachings of the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha. 

As a Buddhist, you have to take the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha as your real teachers and then follow their teachings, and practise until you achieve the result. So his key virtue is to be faithful, to have saddhā. Then he needs to have viriya (being diligent, to exert) to develop mindfulness, samādhi and wisdom. This is the key virtue of a true Buddhist. 

Question:  Could you tell us why you decided to become a Buddhist Bhikkhu?

Than Ajahn:  Well, after studying, practising, and following the teachings of the Buddha for one year, I found that it was the best choice for me at that time. I had two choices: to become a monk or go back to work.

If I go back to work I would not have any time to meditate and to practice. 

Even if I practice, I would have very little time to meditate. But if I become a monk, I could practise and meditate all day long. So I decided to become a monk because the result from meditation is far greater/better than the result from working.

Question:  Can a true Buddhist hold grudges?

Than Ajahn:  Yes, even if you are a true Buddhist, you can still have defilements. You will have no grudges against anybody, only when you have achieved the highest level of attainment, as an arahant.

Question:  What if a person who holds grudges for ages tells you that he/she is so keen to end the cycle of samsara soon? Isn’t it contradictory?

Than Ajahn:  It is not. If you have not yet achieved the highest level of attainment, you can still have grudges, you can still have anger. But once you have achieved the highest level of attainment, you no longer have any anger or hatred.

Question:  For a person who is keen to learn the key teachings of the Buddha, what books would you recommend? Preferably those translated into English).

Than Ajahn:  I would recommend that you read the suttas of the Buddha first:

1) Dhamma-cakkappavattana-sutta—the first sermon.

2) Anatta-Lakkhaṇa Sutta (Not-Self Discourse).

3) Āditta-pariyāya Sutta (The Fire Discourse)

4) Satipatthäna Sutta (The Foundations of Mindfulness)

5) Maṅgala Sutta (The Discourse on Blessings)

These are the principle teachings of the Buddha. You can search these suttas in the internet. They are all translated into English. 

The Buddha is the best teacher to study from when you first start, so you should study from the Buddha first. Afterward, when you study from other teachers, then you would know whether their teachings are following the teachings of the Buddha or not.

Question:  As the Buddha had stated in Majjhima Nikaya, “Every living being has karma as its own, its inheritance, its cause, its kinsman, its refuge. 

Kamma is that which differentiates all living beings into low and high states.” 

Could you enlighten us more on kamma? What is kamma and how does it come into play in an individual’s life?

Than Ajahn:  Kamma is the actions performed by the mind through the body’s action and speech. It is the mind that directs speech and the body’s actions. And these actions can be good or bad, harmful or beneficial to other people. If it is harmful, it is considered to be bad karma. If it is beneficial, it is considered to be good karma. And when you do good karma, your mind becomes happy. When you do bad karma your mind becomes unhappy.

So this is what happens when you do kamma. And this happiness and unhappiness is the one that differentiates people from one another. Some people are happy and some people are not happy. Basically, this will make them to be different types of people. P…

428. The Teachings of Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo

428. The Teachings of Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo 

 "Our goodness: what can we do to make it really good? For today's goodness I want each of us to set our minds on casting a Buddha within the mind to protect ourselves, because Buddhas are things that are more sacred and numinous that any other object in the world. They can protect us and help us survive all sorts of danger and suffering. As we're told in the Pali chant, "Sabba-dukkha sabba-bhaya sabba-roga vinassantu," which means, "All sufferings, all dangers, all diseases can be destroyed through the power of the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha."

Whoever has an inner Buddha is protected from all three major fears. The first kind is the fear of suffering, i.e., birth, aging, illness, and death. The Buddha isn't afraid of these things at all, for he has warded them off in all their forms... (2) The various kinds of danger, such as danger from criminals: Whoever might try to come and steal his valuables, the Buddha isn't the least bit afraid, for his valuables aren't the kind that anyone can steal. The danger of fire: Don't mention house fires or being bombed by nuclear weapons. Even if the fires of the end of the aeon were to burn up the entire world, he wouldn't be startled or fearful. The danger of floods: even if water were to flood from the earth up to the sky, he wouldn't be concerned. 

The danger of famine, drought, and pestilence wouldn't make him suffer or put him to any hardship. (3) The various diseases that arise in the body don't cause him any fear. Just look at the Buddha image in front of you: What dangers is he afraid of? From where? No matter what anyone does to him, he just sits there perfectly still, not afraid of anything at all. This is why we should cast a Buddha within ourselves so that we can wear it around our neck and protect ourselves from fear wherever we go." 

~ Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo 

"An Image of the Buddha"

427. The Teachings of Ajahn Suchart

 427.  The Teachings of Ajahn Suchart

Sat, 5 April 2025

Namo Buddhaya 

—🌷🌷🌷—

Q:  My friend said that we can just do meditation, we do not have to do any chanting. what’s your comment on this, please?

 

Phra Ajahn:  Well, chanting is the way for someone who cannot meditate yet. If you sit and you cannot stop your mind from thinking then chanting can help you stop a lot of your thinking and then it will be easier for you to meditate afterwards. So it depends on your mind. If your mind doesn’t think too much, you can meditate right away but if your mind keeps thinking about this person or that person, think about what happens and your mind cannot concentrate on your meditation then you have to use chanting to help you get rid of these thoughts first. If you are good in meditation, you don’t need to do chanting. When you begin [your meditation] but you cannot meditate, then you need chanting to help you eliminate your thoughts first or help you bring your thoughts down to a manageable level. 

Q:  If we are new to Buddhism, which morning and evening chanting that we should practice daily?

Phra Ajahn:  Well, in Thailand, they have a set of chanting verses to chant so you can use that as the chanting practice. You may have to get a chanting book with English translation so you can follow the chanting session. Or you can choose any sutta to chant. If you like the first discourse, you can chant that first discourse, you can choose any discourse you like. If you like the Mangala Sutta, you can chant the Mangala Sutta. Any suttas you like to chant, you can use them.

- - - - -

Q:  I want to know a bit more on how to practice asubha meditation. 

Phra Ajahn:  Well, the goal of asubha contemplation is to embed in your mind the other aspect of the body that you don’t see which is the repulsive aspect of the body such as when the body dies. There are 10 stages of corpses you can reflect upon when the body dies. You can contemplate upon death to embed it into your memory so that you can use it when you want to get rid of your sexual desire. This is more for those who want to practice meditation, those who want to give up sexual conduct. 

When you have sexual desire arises, if you have these images of repulsive aspect of the body, this can stop your sexual desire. So you need to embed it in your mind which might take a while. You have to keep thinking of it. It’s like memorizing your multiplication table. You have to memorize 2 times 2 is 4. You have to keep thinking of the 10 stages of the corpses, from dying, becoming bloated and so on. This is one way of contemplating the unattractive aspect of the body. 

There is also another way which is to look inside, under the skin, of the body. Look at all the organs like a medical student who dissects a corpse, dissect a body. So you’ll see under the skin there will be flesh, there will be sinews, there will be bones, bone marrows, there will be all kinds of organs, like heart, lungs, intestines, brain and so forth. And you try to imagine the images of these various parts of the body in your mind. So whenever you feel that you have any sexual desire, when you think about these unattractive parts of the body, then the sexual desire will disappear. 

Visitor:  So when I see a good-looking girl on the street, I say to myself, ‘Ok, it is a skeleton.’ 

Phra Ajahn:  Yeah. It sounds easy but when you really do it, you might forget.

Visitor:  I try not to forget. 

Phra Ajahn:  See, when you don’t have sexual desire, it’s easy to do it but when you have sexual desire, these images that you have been trying to implant in your mind, they somehow disappear. So you have to do a lot of it. And your goal is to bring it out at the time when you need it. If you cannot bring it out when you need it, then it’s useless even though you might have contemplate…

426. The Teachings of Phra Ajahn Surawut (Golf) Khemachitto

 426. The Teachings of Phra Ajahn Surawut (Golf) Khemachitto 

Sat, 5 April 2025

"…Sometimes, when we visit different places, different communities, or different temples,

What our eyes see, ears hear, and mind experiences

We rush to judge just because they don’t align with our preferences.

We think, ‘That’s wrong,’ ‘That’s not right,’ ‘That’s not good,’ ‘That’s unacceptable,’ ‘That’s not in accordance with Dhamma.’

As a result, irritation arises in our hearts.

We start criticizing everything, and in the end, the only one suffering is ourselves.

If we find ourselves in this situation, we must reflect: 

Is it truly the external circumstances that are flawed, or is it our own inner attachments causing the problem?

Is the outside world suffering, or is it our own heart that is suffering?

We and others stand in different positions, so naturally, we see things differently.

We have our reasons, and they have theirs.

Different people, different perspectives, different reasons, different environments—

things will never be exactly the same, nor can they please everyone.

If we understand this, we will stop blaming others.

We won’t feel irritated or troubled.

And when we visit the temple, we will truly accumulate merit rather than losing our blessings.

This is why to guard the sense doors, restrain your mind, 

Keep the mind neutral, neither liking nor disliking

Whoever can guard their heart can escape Mara's snare. 

Ajahn Golf ~

Phra Ajahn Surawut (Golf) Khemachitto 

Wat Pa Anuttaro, Sri Bunruang District,

Nong Bua Lamphu Province, Thailand.

425. The Teachings of Phra Surawat Khemachitto (Ajahn Golf)

 425.  The Teachings of Phra Surawat Khemachitto (Ajahn Golf)

Sat, 5 April 2025

《迴向功德 Dedication of Merits》

When we perform wholesome deeds and accumulate merits (puñña), we can dedicate these merits to the deceased, such as parents, relatives, and friends. These merits can be transferred to them. If we observe moral precepts (sīla) along with generosity (dāna), our dedication of merit can reach further and become greater. If we also practice meditation along with generosity, the merit becomes even more amplified and far-reaching.

When we dedicate merits, it is like sending parcel to someone. If they receive it, they can benefit from it. If they don't receive it, the merits will return to us. Therefore, we can dedicate merits without fear of loss - if they receive it, they benefit; If they don't receive it, there is no loss.

When we want to dedicate merits to others, we must first have accumulated merits ourselves. It’s like having a bank account; before we can transfer money to someone else, we first need to work and have money deposited into our account. Only then can we transfer funds to others. Similarly, before we can dedicate merits to benefit others, we must first accumulate those merits through meritorious deeds.

When dedicating merits, we should recall the wholesome deeds we have performed, then we think of the deceased we want to dedicate the merits to. For example, we think of our parents, siblings, their faces, and names, and then share the merits with them.

If our mind is calm and we dedicate with sincere intention, the merits can be transmitted more swiftly and effectively.

For example, if we want to dedicate merits to deceased parents, we can recall the generosity, moral precepts, and meditation we've practiced; by reflecting on these wholesome deeds, we visualize our parents’ faces and names, then dedicate the merits to them. Based on the conditions and circumstances, they may receive it. When dedicating merits to them, we wish that if they receive it, may they be free from all suffering. If they are already happy, may they become even happier.

The Buddha also taught that if we think of our deceased parents, those who have been kind to us or our loved ones, merely crying doesn't benefit them or ourselves. Instead, we should perform wholesome deeds and accumulate merits through the Sangha (monastic community), then dedicate these merits to them in order to truly help them.

當我們有做這個行善種福，我們是可以把這些功德迴向給已經死了的那些亡者，例如父母親戚朋友。是可以迴向給他們的。如果我們有持戒去做布施的話，我們迴向可以去到更遠更大。如果我們加上有禪修，我們做的布施有加上布施跟禪修，這就能夠更大，去到更遠。

這個就是當我們迴向功德福報過去，就好像我們寄東西，寄那些東西過去。如果他們收到的話就可以收到。如果收不到的話，那些寄出去的東西，就會回到我們自己。所以我們可以迴向功德出去。如果他們有收到的話，就可以利益到他們。他們沒有收到的話，就沒有什麼損失。

然後我們要迴向功德給別人的時候，我們先要自己有功德。就好像我們自己有銀行戶口，要匯款給別人的時候，我們先要工作，然後有錢進入那個戶口，我們才可以迴向給別人。所以當我們要迴向功德福報利益到別人，我們先要做了這個功德，種了這些福報，然後才能夠迴向到別人。

然後我們迴向功德，就是我們憶念起我們所作的善業福報，憶念起之後，我們就想起我們要迴向的亡者。比如說我們自己的父母，那些兄弟姐妹，他們的樣子，他們的名字，然後分享給他們。

然後如果我們當時的心是平靜的時候，然後我們有好好用心的話，這個福報就能快速很好地傳送過去。

就好比喻說，我們要迴向功德給那些已經不在世的父母，那好比喻說，我們這次來到做的布施，持戒，禪修；憶念起我們的布施，持戒，跟禪修，然後想起父母他們的樣子，然後把這些迴向給他們。然後他們依照因緣讓他們收到。然後我們迴向給他們，就希望，如果他們收到的話，就願他們解脫一切的苦。如果他們快樂的話，就願他們更快樂。

佛陀也是有教導。我們如果有想起我們的父母，還是對我們有恩德，我們愛的人；如果他們已經死了，他們已經不在人世的話，我們只是哭的話，是對他們和自己沒有什麼好處益處的。所以我們經過僧團去做功德福報，然後把這個福報功德迴向給他們，才幫到他們。

---Ajahn Golf 阿贊高爾夫 อาจารย์กอล์ฟ

13/12/2023 @ 菩提心园  Penang Bodhi Heart Sanctuary, George Town, Pulau Penang, Malaysia

No.424 .The Teachings of Ajahn Suchart( Thur, 3 Apr 2025)

 424 .The Teachings of Ajahn Suchart( Thur, 3 Apr 2025)

Layperson 1:  What is the best way for one to control one’s words when he or she is upset?

Than Ajahn:   Upset to yourself or upset to other people?

Layperson 1:  Upset to other people.

Than Ajahn:  Well, you have to be mindful. You have to think before you say anything. You have to know what you’re thinking at the moment. And the way to be able to watch your thought is by developing mindfulness. 

If you have mindfulness, you will be aware of what you’re thinking, so before you speak what you are thinking, you can first decide whether it’s worthwhile to say it or it isn’t worthwhile to do so. If it’s harmful, it’s better that you don’t say it. You can stop it. So, what you need is to have mindfulness. 

Normally, you don’t have mindfulness, and you just let out what you think right away. 

If you have mindfulness, you will be watching your three actions: your thoughts, your speech and your bodily actions. The way to develop mindfulness is by constantly focusing on your bodily actions, by keep watching your body and concentrating on what you’re doing at the moment. 

Don’t let your mind drift away and think about other things. 

If your mind goes to think about other things while you’re doing something, then you should bring it back by reciting a mantra. 

You can recite: Buddho, Buddho, or Buddha, Buddha. 

When you do this, you will stop your mind from wandering around and bring it back to where the action is, to the bodily action. 

Focus on your bodily action from the time you get up. As soon as you open your eyes, you start developing mindfulness right away. Be mindful with what you do with your body by not thinking about other things and by focusing only on what you do. 

Like when you’re brushing your teeth, just concentrate on brushing your teeth, don’t think about work, don’t think about play. Don’t think about anything. If your mind is stubborn and wants to think, then you have to use a mantra to stop it. Recite a mantra: Buddho, Buddho or Jesus, Jesus, or whatever word you want to recite that can keep the mind away from thinking about other things: this is the way to develop mindfulness. Eventually, your mind will stay put and won’t be wandering around. It will stay in the present most of the time, and it will know what the body is doing. When you know what the body is doing, you will also know what your thought is thinking because you’re watching it. 

You want to stop your thought from thinking aimlessly. You’re in the process of controlling your thoughts. 

When you can control your thoughts, when you think and want to say or do something, you can decide first, whether it’s good to do or say it or it isn’t good to do or say it. If it isn’t good to do or to say it, you can stop it. 

Mindfulness is very important. 

It’s the mind’s controller. The only thing that controls the mind is mindfulness. So, you need to develop it and to have it all the time. Right now, sometimes you are mindful and sometimes you are not mindful. When you are mindful, thing seems to work well, everything is going okay. 

As soon as you lose mindfulness, when you let your emotion takes over, you start doing things that you will regret afterwards. So, you need to develop more mindfulness. The goal is to be constantly mindful, to have continuous mindfulness so that you are able to control your thoughts and your actions. 

Your action is what your thought commands the body to do or say. 

When you have mindfulness, you are able to direct the mind to think and direct the body to do or say things that you think is good, things that don’t hurt other people or hurt yourself. 

If you don’t know what kind of action is good or bad, then you have to study ‘the law of kamma’. 

The law of kamma is the law that tells you what kind of action is good and what kind of action is bad. Bad action is the action that you do through your body or speech that will hurt or harm other people. Bad action will bring problems back to you, sooner or later. 

Good action (good kamma) is to do things that benefit other people and make other people happy. 

Good action will bring benefits back to you, it will make you happy. This is what you should know about the law of kamma. When you know the law of kamma, then you’ll know whether what you think and what you want to say or do is a good or bad kamma. 

When you know it is a bad kamma, you stop doing it. 

When you know it is a good kamma, you do it. This is what we try to achieve in our practice, in Buddhism: try to control our mind, our speech and our bodily actions. If we can control them, we will be behaving correctly. We will bring no harm to other people and to ourselves. 

Dhamma in English, Jan 12, 2019.

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

Latest Dhamma talks on Youtube: 

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

#ajahnsuchartabhijato #anger #mindfulness #kamma #mantra #buddhism #mind

No. 423 - The Teachings of Ajahn Suchart

 No. 423 - The Teachings of Ajahn Suchart

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Wed 2nd April 2025

Q:  How can I attain to Anāgāmī level? 

Than Ajahn:  You have to move up to the next level of investigation. You have to get rid of your sexual desire. Your sexual desire arises from you thinking about beautiful women or men. When you think of good looking men or women, you have sexual desire for them. So you have to look the other side of the body: look at the body when it’s old, is sick, when it dies, when the body becomes a corpse, or look inside the body under the skin. There are many things that you don’t see about the body. So you have to look at the other side of the body which is the unattractive side. If you can see the unattractive side of the body then you can get rid of your sexual desire, then you become an Anāgāmi. 

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Q:  After chanting, my breath becomes subtle. When the breath disappears, sometimes it is difficult to fix my attention at one point and sometimes I just see the emptiness of the breath. How to deepen my samādhi? Should I fix my attention at one point or should I just be aware of the emptiness? 

Than Ajahn:  Just be aware of the emptiness and be aware whether you are thinking or not. If any thought arises, you should stop it. Don’t continue your thoughts. 

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Q:  While meditating using ānāpānasati, I am confused whether my breathing is the natural breathing or the controlled breathing. How to distinguish them?

Than Ajahn:  It doesn’t matter. Just keep watching the breath comes in and goes out, whether it’s natural or not natural is not the point. The point is to use it as the point of focus of your mind in order to prevent your mind from thinking. If you start to wonder whether it’s controlled or not controlled breath, you are already thinking. So don’t worry whether it’s controlled or not controlled. Just watch. Just observe and don’t think. 

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Q:  After 15 min of meditation with my eyes closed, I felt burning sensation on my eyes so I opened my eyes which gave me much relief. But after opening my eyes for a while, the eyes felt heavy, this cycle keeps repeating throughout my meditation. Can Ajahn please advise?

Than Ajahn:  Well, if there is nothing physically cause your eyes to have irritation then you should just ignore it. If it only happens when you meditate then you should ignore it. When you feel any irritation while you’re meditating, just ignore it. Just keep focusing on your meditation object then eventually, this feeling can disappear. For meditators, there are many distractions. Sometimes you feel itchy here and there, sometimes you feel painful here and there. If you let these things distract your mind from your meditation then your meditation will not succeed. In order to succeed you have to ignore them and keep focusing on your meditation object. 

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Q:  As listening to music is not allowed when we practice the 8 precepts, does Buddhist songs such as the Heart Sutra or the mantra with music acceptable and it will not break the 8 precepts?

Than Ajahn:  It’s still not good. It’s better to not listen to music whether it’s chanting music or not. It can still be a distraction. It’s better to listen to the chant alone or do the chanting yourself.

“Dhamma in English, Nov 12, 2019.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

YouTube:  Dhamma in English.

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

No. 422 - The Teachings of Ajahn Golf ( Phra Surawat Khemachitto

 422 -  The Teachings of Ajahn Golf ( Phra Surawat Khemachitto 

.Should We Refrain from Vowing to Be Reborn in the Heavenly Realms?

Devotee: If we haven’t attained any stages of enlightenment, should we avoid vowing to be reborn as a deva in our next life? Since there are no Buddhist monasteries, monastic communities, or the teachings of the Lord Buddha in the heavenly realms, wouldn’t we eventually forget the Dhamma and our spiritual practice?

Ajahn Golf: As I’ve mentioned before, it’s better to vow directly for Nibbāna and continue practicing the Dhamma. Even if we haven’t yet reached Nibbāna, our character and practice will naturally incline toward the Dhamma path.

When our mind is firmly established in the Triple Gem and we consistently maintain our practice, then if we pass away during a time when the Lord Buddha's teachings are not present in the world, our good kamma will lead us to a favorable rebirth, such as in the heavenly realms. However, when a new Buddha arises in the world, we will have the opportunity to be reborn in that era and encounter the Dhamma. The seeds of wisdom within us will then awaken, allowing us to complete our spiritual journey and attain enlightenment.

By continuously engaging in virtuous deeds and spiritual practice, these habits and qualities become deeply ingrained in us. No matter where we are reborn, these characteristics will remain with us. Our natural inclinations will lead us toward generosity, precepts, and meditation.

As Ajahn has said, when we make a vow, we should dedicate all our merits—our good deeds, blessings, and virtues—toward Nibbāna. By making Nibbāna our ultimate goal while also engaging in generosity, precepts, and meditation, we ensure that even if we don’t attain enlightenment in this life, we will still be reborn in favorable realms among humans and devas. There is no need to fear being reborn in difficult or impoverished circumstances. Those who seek Nibbāna must cultivate goodness, purity, and meditation—developing these virtues will naturally safeguard us from suffering in the cycle of rebirth.

All beings are shaped by their karma. When our mind is aligned with the Triple Gem—Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha—our virtuous actions will guide us to be reborn in places where Buddhism thrives. Therefore, there is no need to doubt this.

-- Ajahn Golf