396 - The Teachings of 𝐋𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚 𝐁𝐮𝐚 (Sat, 22 March 2025)

 The Teachings of 𝐋𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚 𝐁𝐮𝐚

Sat, 22 March 2025

𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: My being a Buddhist has caused my friends to talk about me. They say that at one time I used to be a person full of fun and high spirits, and that now I am the exact opposite. I have lost a lot of friends and even my wife misunderstands me and disagrees with me. How can I solve this problem?

𝐋𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚 𝐁𝐮𝐚: 

Being a Buddhist does not mean that you must be quiet or look solemn. If friends try to get you to go in a way which is unwholesome and you are observing the moral precepts, you should not follow them. You might lose your friends but you will not lose yourself. If you are satisfied that you have gone the way of wholesomeness, you should consider the Buddha as an example. He was a prince who had a large retinue and many friends. 

He renounced the world, gave up those friends, and went to dwell alone for many years. After he had attained Enlightenment, he was surrounded by friends and had many disciples who were Arahants (Pure Ones), monks as well as nuns, lay men and lay women, until the number of Buddhists was more than the population of the world. 

We all believe in the teachings of the Buddha, which unites the hearts and minds of all Buddhists. We therefore should not be afraid of having no friends. 

We should think, first of all, that our friends do not yet understand us, and so they drift away and no longer associate with us. Our way of practice in the way of wholesomeness still remains, however. We should see that there are still good people in the world!

Good people eventually meet and become friends with other good people, and these good people will be our friends. If there are no good people in the world, and if there is nobody interested in associating with us, then we should associate with the Dhamma in our hearts, which is better than friends who are not interested in goodness at all. 

Ordinarily, those good friends of yours will come back to you. You should therefore rest assured that if your heart is satisfied that you are going in a wholesome direction, then that is enough. You should not be concerned with or worry about others more than yourself. 

You should be responsible for yourself in the present and in the future, for there is nobody but yourself who can raise you up to a higher level.

Sunday, 9th June 1974

Dhammapadipa Vihara, London

Translated by Phra Paññavaddho

Reference from Jeff Jenkins' post & LP Doo Page : https://www.facebook.com/luangpudoo/photos/319858106213044

No.395 - The Teachings of Ajahn Suchart (Sat, 22 March 2025)

 The Teachings of Ajahn Suchart

Sat, 22 March 2025

Question:  How to develop more sati?

Than Ajahn:  Well, sati is to be mindful of what you do, be mindful of every movement from the time you get up in the morning. You have to keep watching what you are doing with your body, ‘What am I doing now? I’m lying down, I’m getting up, I’m sitting down, I’m standing up, I’m walking, I’m brushing my teeth, I’m washing my face, I’m eating’: this is the way to develop sati or mindfulness. If your mind cannot focus on what you do, if it still keeps thinking about other things, then you might use a mantra to help you. Just keep reciting ‘Buddho, Buddho, Buddho,’ then you cannot go think about other things. When you think about something of the past or of the future, it means you are not mindful. 

If you think of what you’re doing, you are being mindful, but if you think about something else, then you are not being mindful. That’s why sometimes you need to go to some places that have some kinds of danger, like here in the forest. When you walk, you have to be more mindful because you know there might be snakes or something else coming out of the forest, so you tend to be more mindful when you go practice in places where there are some kinds of danger waiting for you. If you practice in a safe place, then you become smug and you don’t feel you need to be mindful. 

“Dhamma in English, May 28, 2019.”

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Question:  I chant a mantra continuously, but at times, when I am not mindful, my false thoughts appear non-stop. How do I remain focused on chanting my mantra even when I’m doing my daily activities and during my working hours?

Than Ajahn:  You just have to keep reminding yourself to recite the mantra. 

Keep checking yourself to see if you’re reciting the mantra or not. 

You have to be the watcher of yourself. You have to remind yourself, ‘Am I reciting the mantra or am I not doing it? What am I doing right now?’ 

The Buddha taught us to ask ourselves this question all the time, ‘What am I doing right now?’ So, just keep asking this question, ‘Am I being mindful or am I not being mindful?’ 

Then, you will know whether you’re mindful or not mindful, and when you are not mindful, you can go back to become mindful again. Keep asking yourself these questions, ‘What am I doing right now? Am I being mindful or am I not being mindful?’

“Dhamma in English, Aug 8, 2021.”

By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto

www.phrasuchart.com

YouTube:  Dhamma in English.

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

#ajahnsuchartabhijato #sati