Following are excerpts from an interview with Theravada Bhikkhu and renowned meditation guru Ven. Ajahn Suchart Abhijato Maha Thera of Thailand.
Q: Buddhism is often referred to as a philosophy by non-Buddhists. Is Buddhism a religion or a philosophy?
A: It is a teaching of the Buddha that teaches how to get rid of all mental suffering such as stress, depression, anxiety, worry, and fear.
Venerable Ajahn Suchart Abhijato Maha Thera
Q: A Sotapanna has got rid of three fetters i)The wrong view of the body of himself/herself, ii) The doubt in the Buddha, Dhamma, and the Sangha and iii) Clinging to rites and rituals or no attachment to rites and rituals. What practices should a Buddhist follow to be free of these three fetters? For example, would simply reading the Tripitaka, listening to Buddhist Dhamma discourses regularly, and following the Five Precepts help us overcome these three fetters? Or is it necessary to learn under a Buddhist meditation guru/ Buddhist teacher in order to acquire Sovan/Sotapanna status?
A: You have to pactise the Sila (moral restraint), keep the Precepts, and then you have to meditate to get the Jhanas. At this point, you have to study the nature of the body to see that it is anicca, dukkha, and anatta. You can then become a Sotapanna.
If you can do all these on your own, then you don’t need a teacher. But if you find it difficult to do so, you need to study and practise under the guidance of a teacher.
Q: Can a Sotapanna still have an intense attraction towards his or her own body?
A: No, he or she is no longer attached to the body. He is aware of the nature of the body and as far as living is concerned, it is a life of ageing, sickness, and death.
But a Sotapanna still has sexual desire in him/her. Since the sexual desire has not disappeared completely, a Sotapanna may still feel the need to engage in sexual relations.
Q: So a Sotapanna is not afraid of death or physical ailments at all?
A: No, he is not. A Sotapanna is ready to let the body be old, sick, and finally die.
Q: How does one know whether he/she has reached the Sovan / Sotapanna status? What is the implication?
A: When there is no stress regarding the body, he has reached the Sotapanna state. Whatever happens to the body, a Sotapanna does not feel any stress. There is absolutely no stress in him/her when the body gets old, sick, or dies.
Q: How can we apply the Buddha’s teachings to reduce our excessive anger and restlessness?
A: Well, you have to practise mindfulness. When you practise mindfulness, you can reduce the defilements – love, attachments, greed, and delusion. So try to practise mindfulness frequently by reciting the mantra ‘Buddho, Buddho’ as much as possible throughout the day.
Q: Could you kindly explain how we should make use of the Buddha’s Teachings and Buddhist meditation practices to treat depression?
A: Yes, meditation is a way of treating depression. Depression is a mental illness that comes from disappointment. When you do not get what you want, you become depressed. So when you meditate frequently, your desire to obtain things will gradually diminish and eventually cease. Once you stop your desire to obtain things (material comforts, relationships, or whatever), your mind becomes peaceful, calm and happy. So you can use meditation to stop being depressed.
Q: How can one make use of the Buddha’s meditation practices to achieve worldly benefits such as educational/ career/ relationship goals?
A: That is not the purpose of the Buddha’s teachings. The purpose of the Buddha’s teachings is to achieve spiritual perfection, not worldly gains.
Q: So is it not correct to use Buddhist Meditation practices to achieve worldly benefits?
A: No, it is for the mind. The teaching of the Buddha is for peacefulness of the mind – to make the mind peaceful, calm, and happy and finally to achieve spiritual perfection.
– Ven. Ajahn Suchart Abhijato Thera was born on November 2, 1947. Having completed his degree in Civil Engineering at California State University, Fresno, USA, he returned to his motherland where he designed an ice cream parlour for a brief stint. Quite soon, inspired by a Dhamma Book, he decided to go in search of ‘true happiness’, to find inner peace through the practice of Buddhist meditation.
He became a bhikkhu at the age of 27 and received ordination at Wat Bovornives in Bangkok on February 19, 1975, with Somdet Phra Ñanasarivara, the late Supreme Patriarch (Somdet Phra Sangharaja), as his preceptor.
Ven. Ajahn Suchart Abhijato Thera resides in Wat Yansangwararam, Thailand.
