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.
Excerpts
Q: When meditating, if a particular thought keeps disturbing us repeatedly, should we pause to reflect on that thought or should we continue meditating? What is the best approach in such situations?
A: If you find that you can no longer continue with your meditation because a thought keeps distracting you, you may need to change your approach. For instance, if you previously focused on your breath, you could switch to chanting instead. Chanting can help you concentrate better, allowing you to let go of any distracting thoughts.
Q: When meditating, is it acceptable to count breaths to maintain our focus?
A: Counting as you are watching the breath? If you find it helpful to stay focused on your breath, you can use it. But it will not help you reach deeper calm. So, once you find that you are focused on your breath and not disturbed by anything else, you can stop counting, and keep watching the breath.
At the beginning, if you find that your mind starts to wander and think about various things, you can use counting to help maintain your focus on the breath. In Thailand, people sometimes use the mantra ‘Buddho’ with the breath. When breathing in, they say ‘Bud,’ and when breathing out, they say ‘dho.’They do this because they find it helpful for the mind to stay focused on the breath.
Eventually, you will need to stop the ‘Buddho’ mantra or the counting and simply focus on the breath alone if you want to go deeper into your meditation.
Q: What are the stages of progress in meditation, and how can a meditator recognise when they have reached an advanced stage in jhāna?
A: When you reach the fourth jhāna, you feel content, happy, peaceful, and empty in the mind. There is nothing left in the mind. Before reaching this stage, you must continue focusing on your meditation object.
Q: How do we know if we have reached the first stage of Jhana ?
A: Well, the first three stages of jhāna are not as obvious as the fourth one. The fourth stage is something completely different from your normal state of mind. You will know it when you get there, so don’t worry about it. Just keep being mindful—that is all. Stay mindful of your breath and stop thinking. Don’t think about anything. Don’t pay attention to anything that might appear during your meditation.
Q: How can we manage our ego, particularly when we become disturbed by the things certain people say to us?
A: Be like a rag or be like a servant.
Q: Doing voluntary work is also a good way to overcome ego, right?
A: That can also help. Doing charity work will reduce your selfishness.
Q: Does being a rag mean that, no matter what they tell us—even if they criticise us—we should just remain silent?
A: Yes, you are a rag, so why protest?
Q: Even if others are wrong?
A: It doesn’t matter whether they are right or wrong. The goal is simply not to react to them. That is all.
Q: Wild animals often destroy farmers’ crops, leading to significant losses. Some farmers resort to killing these animals, claiming they have no other way to protect their crops. Can their actions be justified in any way?
A: There is no provision in the Five Precepts that permits killing for any reason. Simply put, do not kill—that is all.
Q: Should we always give money to those who ask for it, or is it better to first inquire about their needs?
A: It depends on the situation. If they ask for a large sum of money, you might want to first inquire about what they intend to use it for. But if there is a beggar on the street asking for a small amount, it is generally fine to simply give it to him/her.
Q: How can we sustain long periods of meditation without losing motivation or becoming overwhelmed by thoughts or discomfort?
A: If thoughts disturb you, get up and practise mindfulness instead. After coming out of sitting meditation, you continue your mindfulness practice, still trying to restrain your thoughts. You can also use the mantra “Buddho, Buddho” as you go about your activities. Keep observing your body to prevent your mind from thinking – wandering into unnecessary thoughts.
Q: What should we do if we still feel disturbed by thoughts?
A: It’s better to take a break for a while and then return to meditation. When you feel ready, you can sit for another session. Just do this – take breaks – between practising mindfulness and meditation all day long.
Q: Many of us know that life is uncertain, that everything can change at any time. Yet,we are still not ready to follow the path of a Buddhist monastic life in full. We understand that life is full of suffering, but we continue to live in the hope of finding happiness someday, believing that things will get better. Why is that? Why are most of us still not ready to follow the path of a Buddhist monastic life?
A: It is because we do not truly see anicca—impermanence. We need to remind ourselves that our body is anicca, impermanent. The body is subject to aging, sickness, and death, and we are subject to separation from the ones we love. We must constantly remind ourselves of this truth. While we may briefly understand it, we often forget and return to our old way of thinking, believing that everything will be good and will last long. To counter this, we need to reinforce the truth by continually reminding ourselves of the impermanent nature of our body and life.
Q: To remind ourselves of impermanence, as you mentioned, do we need to read a lot of Dhamma books because when we are engaged in day-to-day activities, we tend to forget the reality of life.
A: You don’t have to study too much while practising. Simply understanding the impermanent nature of the body is enough. Don’t forget it—be aware of it at all times.
Q: What did the Buddha say about being born as a woman? Did he ever mention that a female birth is inferior?
A: Well, I don’t know. I haven’t studied much of the scriptures. I only studied the suttas about practice
Q: I am particularly interested in this question because I have often heard many monks saying otherwise.
A: As far as the Dhamma practice is concerned, everyone is the same, whether man or woman. It is not gender that determines your success in meditation practice; it is your ability to apply the teachings. It is your mind that does the practice, not your body. So, it doesn’t matter whether you have a male or female body. However, in a conventional sense, it may be a bit harder for women to practise as forest practitioners, as women cannot go into the forest alone as men do. This might be one disadvantage of being a woman. But you can still practise in the monastery. During the Buddha’s time, there was the Bhikkhuni Sangha, and women were ordained as Bhikkhunis, living in the monastery. In the forest monastery, where you stay can be scattered apart, much like in a forest. So you don’t have to wander into the wild forest. You can practise in the forest monastery, which offers an environment similar to that of a natural forest.
Q: Can a woman never become a Buddha?
A: Well, there has never been anything that said that. Anyone, regardless of gender, who has the ability can become a Buddha.
Q: So, gender is not a barrier?
A: No
Q: A human in this life can be reborn as an animal in the next life. What specific bad karma causes someone to be born in the animal realm?
A: When you break the Precepts for survival. For instance, if you kill someone to survive, or if you kill animals for food or make a living by killing other animals as your occupation, this is the cause for you to be born as an animal in your next life.
Q: What is the best way to gain the benefits of reciting suttas? Is it necessary to recite them ourselves, or is it sufficient to listen to recordings of monks reciting them, such as on YouTube? Sometimes laypeople do not know how to pronounce the Pali words properly and may recite the sutta incorrectly.
A: Reciting gathas or suttas is a way of developing mindfulness. It is a way of preventing your mind from thinking aimlessly. When you recite a sutta, your attention is focused on the words, which prevents your mind from drifting off into thoughts about the economy, politics, or any other distractions. The purpose of reciting the sutta is to pull your mind away from worldly concerns so that it can become empty of stress or anxiety. The suttas – the teachings of the Buddha – have a calming effect on the mind. If you can understand the meaning of the sutta that you chant, you also gain wisdom or knowledge from the sutta. As I first started I recited the Four Foundations of Mindfulness in English which helped me understand exactly what the Buddha was trying to convey to us. I could then apply his teaching as I learned from the sutta, as I recited the sutta.
The purpose of reciting a sutta is to prevent your mind from thinking about worldly stuff and clear your mind/empty your mind of thoughts and to cultivate mindfulness, strength, and the ability to calm your mind. It does not matter which sutta you recite. Even a short one, such as one that recites the qualities of the Triple Gem, can be beneficial. However, consistency is important—you should not recite it just once. Sometimes, you may need to practice for an hour or more.
As for listening to suttas, you would need equipment, and you may not always be able to carry it with you everywhere you go. It is better to recite the suttas yourself because you can do so anywhere and anytime.
Q: Do we have to recite it by heart?
A: Yes.
Q: What if we pronounce Pali words incorrectly?
A: It doesn’t matter as long as you don’t let your mind wander to other things.
Q: What is the best way to begin letting go? Is it by distancing ourselves from our favourite material possessions, or by maintaining distance in relationships?”
Let go of whatever you can, starting with the easiest things. Gradually work your way up to the harder ones. For instance, you might begin by letting go of your coffee or favourite drinks. If that is difficult, choose something else to let go. You have to do it slowly depending on the strength. You might not be able to do everything all at once. So begin with the things that are less important or easier to part with and just keep those things that you still need to have.
Eventually you will have to let go of everything. But it does not mean that you cannot use them or have them. You can use them or have them, but must not be attached to them.If something happens to them, or if they are lost, you should not feel sad or upset about it.
The Buddha had only eight possessions: a bowl, three pieces of robes, a belt, a razor blade for shaving, needles and pins to mend his robe, and a water strainer. These were his only belongings—just eight pieces. He did not own a house. He could stay in the forest under a tree or in a cave.
– 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.
