The following are excerpts from an interview with Theravada Bhikkhu Ven. Ajahn Suchart Abhijato Maha Thera of Thailand. The Maha Thera is well known across the globe for his effective Dhamma teaching methods and meditation practice.
Ven. Ajahn Suchart Abhijato
Maha Thera
Q: Is it accurate to say that a negative thought not translated into action does not generate any bad Kamma?
A: It does not create any bad Kamma, but it creates bad feelings when you think of bad thoughts.
Q: What is Right Speech according to Buddhism?
A: Right speech means talking about the Dhamma, such as discussions within the confinement of the Five Precepts. Right speech is speaking the truth, Don’t lie.
Q: Is it acceptable to use sprays or other methods to kill mosquitoes, either at the government level or individually, to combat deadly diseases such as dengue? Does this approach align with or conflict with Buddhist principles?
A: If you want to keep the Precept then you do not/cannot kill any living being. But if you want to kill, there is nobody to stop you from doing it!
Q: The intention here is to eradicate dengue.
A: They will have to pay the consequences of the bad Kamma one day in the future.
Q: Does killing mosquitoes or harmful insects carry the same moral weight as killing larger animals like a cow or an elephant?
A: Normally, if the person or animal you kill is useful, the consequences are greater than if the animal you kill is not useful. This is the same with humans. If you kill someone who is useful to you versus someone who is not useful, the consequences are different. Killing people you do not know versus killing your parents also has different consequences.
Q: Do soldiers who go to war on behalf of their country commit the sin of killing, as they are doing it for their country?
A: It is still wrong. It is still bad Kamma. However, the consequences can vary depending on the type of killing. The reason for killing can influence the severity of the consequences. Killing for your country is not as bad as killing for your own benefit, such as robbing someone or hitting someone. Nonetheless, it is still wrong.
Q: Does the soldier still violate the First Precept?
A: Yes.
Q: Does the Head of the armed forces, or whoever orders the soldiers to start the war or kill the enemy, commit more bad Kamma than the soldiers who are merely following their Superior’s order?
A: Well, the person who orders, also commits a bad Kamma. But I don’t know how bad the consequences will be.
Q: Does the soldier bear more bad Kamma than the Commander because they are the ones who perform the act?
A: Yes, either you do it or you tell somebody else to do it for you, it is the same. You are breaking the same Precept.
Q: Which incurs more bad Kamma?
A: I said that it is equivalent. Whether you commit the act yourself or ask someone else to do it for you, you are still breaking the same Precept.
As mentioned before, the consequences of killing can vary depending on the person you kill. The more precious the person, the greater the consequences. For example, killing your father, mother, an Arahant, or even causing harm to the Buddha (causing the Buddha to bleed), or causing a fracture in the Sangha, are considered the worst types of Kamma because you are destroying someone who is extremely virtuous and beneficial. In contrast, killing an animal or an enemy, such as a soldier, incurs less severe consequences.
Q: As per the teachings of the Buddha, should we confess our past bad deeds to someone we trust, or should we self-correct without telling others?
A: There is no requirement for laypeople to confess their past deeds to others if they can acknowledge and correct their own mistakes. However, for monks, it is required to confess their mistakes to another monk.in order to shame themselves, and let others know that they have broken something and should not continue doing it.
Q: So for lay people, self -admitting mistakes is sufficient?
A: Yes, self-admitting mistakes is fine. But, if you find that confessing to someone else helps, you can do that as well. There is no rule regarding this.
Q: When meditating, we may sometimes feel separate from the body. Is this a good sign? Does it mean we are making progress in meditation?
A: Yeah. It means you are getting the result from your meditation. The purpose of meditation is to separate the mind from the body.
Q: But if that only happens for a few minutes, is that okay?
A: That’s normal for a beginner. Your mindfulness isn’t strong enough yet. But as you continue with your mindfulness practice, you’ll be able to maintain the separation between mind and body for longer periods.
Q: When we think of meditating, we may face unexpected disturbances. How can we tackle them? Is it true that the Mara (demonic forces) tends to disturb those who are keen to engage in deep meditation focused on attaining Nibbana?
A: They are hindrances. It depends on what type of obstructions you have. If you have anger, then you should practise loving kindness. You should forgive the person who you are angry with. If you have sexual desire, then you have to use Asubha Contemplation.
Q: A person who is keen to progress in meditation recently told me that whenever she thinks of doing deep meditation, she faces unexpected disturbances, such as sudden visits from distant relatives or an increased workload at the office. Should these be considered disturbances or acts of the Mara?
A: No, it just happens. People visit you from time to time, and you didn’t inform them in advance that they shouldn’t come at that particular time.
Q: Is it okay to focus on a Buddha statue or another object if it helps us concentrate for a longer time than watching the breath? Is it correct to use an object for this purpose?
A: Yes, it is called Kasina. You focus on a colour or an object.
Q: So if a person is focusing on a Buddha statue that they have seen, that is fine?
A: Yes, if your mind becomes calm and peaceful, then it is okay.
Q: Is deep meditation the only path to end our sensual cravings?
A: Yes, you need to have equanimity. You should at least reach the Fourth Jhana to achieve this, because when you attain the Fourth Jhana, your mind is happy and content.
As a result, you do not feel a craving for anything.
Q: How should we always integrate mindfulness into our everyday activities? For example, I know that we can be mindful throughout the day regarding our activities. But how can we remain mindful, if we lose our temper or feel like yelling at another?
A: It means you have no mindfulness. I mean if you are angry, that means you have not developed enough mindfulness.
So, when you are angry, you should say, ‘I have to bring mindfulness back,’ and then start reciting the mantra, “Buddho, Buddho.”
Q: Without losing our temper, we should start reciting the mantra ‘Buddho, Buddho’?
A: That’s right. Just rest for a while and then your mind will calm down. Or, you might need to walk away from the person, as seeing him/her might still trigger your anger. So, the best approach might be to go away from that person for a while.
Q: What are some more effective techniques for maintaining focus during meditation? Just like watching our breath or focusing the mind on a Buddha statue.
A: Doing mindfulness before you meditate is the most effective one. If you maintain mindfulness from the time you wake up to the time you meditate, you will find it easy for you to concentrate on your meditation object.
The object is only a preference. But the essential part is mindfulness which you lack. You have not yet developed your mindfulness enough. So you should try to do a lot more mindfulness before you meditate.
You can do it as soon as you get up in the morning. As soon as you get up, you can start reciting the mantra ‘Buddho.Buddho’ or start watching your body (movements). When you are brushing your teeth, taking a shower etc, you have to be mindful of this activity. Stay with this activity.
Always do mindfulness throughout the day.
Q: If we still lose our temper, it means we lack mindfulness.
A: That’s right. You become immersed with the person.
Q: How does meditation contribute to understanding the concept of impermanence (anicca)?
A: It does not directly. Meditation is for calming your mind. It makes your mind clearer. It temporarily lifts the delusions that cloud your mind, allowing you to start seeing things as they are.
Q: It doesn’t contribute to understanding the concept anicca?
A: Sometimes you have to analyse the concept of anicca. For example, you might not understand what anicca means. So you have to teach your mind what anicca is. It means change. Like birth – when you are born, you are a baby. As you grow up you start to change. This is anicca. This has more to do with analysing in order for you to be able to see the concept of Anicca or change.
But if you have strong mindfulness from Samadi (through meditation), then you can concentrate more on contemplation or investigation. If you do not have any mindfulness, or time for meditation, your mind will usually be hijacked by your defilements. instead of trying to analyse impermanence( anicca), your mind will want to think about something else like eating something or drinking something instead.
Q: What is the significance of achieving Jhana states in Buddhist meditation? You previously mentioned about the Fouth Jhana. Do we have to go to the Fourth Jhana state?
A: Yes. At the Fourth Jhana state, your mind is happy and not hungry for anything. When you have equanimity you have no love, no fear, no hate, no delusion, temporarily.
Q: Reaching the Fourth Jhana does not mean that a person has become an arahant (attained Nibbana) ?
A: No. It is like a “temporary Nibbana,” because when you are in the Fourth Jhana, all the cravings stop functioning for a while. But they do still exist. When you come out of the Fourth Jhana, your cravings can return as soon as you start to think. When you start thinking of something, you will start having cravings for that ‘something.’ Then you think about that.
Q: Does this mean that even if a person has achieved the Fourth Jhana, they still need to do a lot more meditation to become an arahant?
A: To become an arhant, you have to use wisdom. You have to see that everything is Anicca, Dukkha, Anatta.
Q: But when a person meditates continuously, it helps him develop his wisdom. Am I correct?
A: No, your meditation helps you develop strong equanimity, strong mindfulness. If you have strong mindfulness, then you can direct your thinking wisely or think in the way of wisdom. The mind is usually directed by our defilement. But when we have mindfulness, we can use it to direct our mind to think about things that ‘defilements do not want the mind to think about, such as death or Asubha.
Q: To develop wisdom, do we need to read a lot of Buddhist texts or Suttas on our own while practising deep meditation?
A: No. All you have to know is the nature of the body, the nature of the feelings, the nature of the mind, the mental states in the mind.
Q: That all are impermanent?
A: That is right. And besides that, the external things such as the worldly possessions – wealth, status, sensual pleasures. You also have to investigate them to see that they are Anicca, Dukkha and Anatta.
Q: Could you recommend a swift path to end Samsara and attain Nibbana within this lifetime for a person who is deeply committed to this goal?
A: Well, you have to practise full time and the best way to practise full time is to become a monk or a nun.
Q: Why did Buddhism never become the main religion in India (Jambudvipa,) where the Buddha was born?
A: Because Hinduism was a well-established religion in India even before the time the Buddha became enlightened. So it is not easy to change that, even though how good Buddhism is. Buddhism requires people to have enough wisdom to appreciate it. For people who rely on faith, they do not need Buddhism. They can still rely on Hinduism to satisfy their needs. It is only for those people who want to be free from suffering that Buddhism becomes attractive.
Q: Yeah. Hinduism existed in India long before the Buddha came into being. Countries such as Sri Lanka and Thailand did not have a well-established religion by then.
A: That’s right. In countries like Sri Lanka and Thailand, there were no established religions before Buddhism. So it was easier for Buddhism to take hold there. They embraced the new religion more easily.
-Ven. Ajahn Suchart Abhijato Maha 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 Maha Thera resides in Wat Yansangwararam, Thailand.
