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.
Q: How long should a beginner focus on his/her breath during meditation?
A: It’s not the length of time you should worry about; it’s the quality of your meditation – how long can you remain absorbed, calm, and peaceful? So if you can become peaceful, you’ll likely stay in meditation longer than when your mind isn’t calm. The factor that determines your mind’s calmness is your mindfulness. If you want to achieve better calmness from your meditation practice, you have to practise mindfulness a lot.
Q: Even though we keep our eyes closed, we’re still asked to watch our breath. So, do we observe our breath through our mind?
Ven. Ajahn Suchart Abhijato Maha Thera
A: When meditating, you have to continually focus on the breath instead of just watching it, ensuring your mind doesn’t wander to other thoughts.
Q: We have to watch our breath through our mind. Am I correct?
A: Yes, you close your eyes, then you observe through the feeling of the breath touching the tip of your nose—the sensation of the breath either entering or leaving your body. But you only watch it at the tip of your nose. Don’t shift your focus back and forth, as it will disturb the stillness of your mind. You must keep the mind still by focusing only on one point – breath coming into your body or going out of your body.
Q: Could you recommend a solution for sound disturbance during meditation? Is it okay to wear earplugs and have some mild music in the background?
A: You should not have any distracting sounds. It’s better to block out all sounds except for natural ones like the wind blowing or other natural sounds. Avoid using any unnatural sounds.
Try using earplugs without any music—just earplugs. You want silence because sounds can distract your concentration.
Q: What is the experience like when entering the first Jhana?
A: Jhana is usually translated as absorption. The mind becomes absorbed into one thing and forgets about everything else. So when you meditate, you concentrate on your breath or your Mantra until your mind becomes one with the breath or the Mantra. And when that happens, the mind starts to become calm, peaceful, and happy, reaching singularity where it forgets about everything else. All that remains is just itself, the knowing.
Q: Are there eight Jhanas?
A: Yes, it depends on the level of calmness achieved by absorption. The Jhanas are divided into two levels – the Rupa Jhana and the Arupa Jhana.
Q: In the Vessantara Jataka, King Vessantara (as a Bodhisattva) gave away his children to fulfill a Paramita in his journey towards Buddhahood. While traditionally seen as a perfect act of generosity, in today’s context where forcing a child to leave against their will is considered a violation of their rights, how do we reconcile this ancient story with modern values?
A: Well, it was a different time, a different situation. So you cannot compare that time with now, and I think that the intention of Vessantara was to fulfill his perfection/paramita. So he was willing to give everything, even his own life.
Q: So that was acceptable during that time?
A: Well, if he wants to become a Buddha, that’s what even a future Bodhisattva would do—letting go of everything, every form of attachment. So we can’t apply that to normal people like us. We, as people, are attached to things, and we don’t see the benefit of giving up what we own. But for someone who has given up something he/she owns and feels relief, such people might believe that having nothing is better than having anything.
Q: But the children did not want to leave their father.
A: Well, they need to have someone to look after them. So instead of him, they got another old man to look after them. And King Vessantara thought it was okay. He did not abandon the children. He just gave them away to someone else to take care of.
Q: But his wife was ready to look after the children?
A: Well, like I said this is a story. There isn’t so much detail about it. We are just trying to demonstrate Vessantara’s willingness to give up everything for the sake of building up the Paramitas. What is being highlighted here is his ability to let go of everything.
Q: Are Devas or spiritual beings, visible to the naked eye? Can ordinary people see them?
A: For you to be able to contact the Devas or the spiritual beings, you need to achieve a special type of Samadhi called Upachara Samadhi.
Q: I have a story from a practising Buddhist who experienced deep meditation at a certain remote Buddhist Monastery. He claims to have seen a Deva upon emerging from meditation. While I trust his sincerity, I still struggle to believe that we can truly see the Devas with our naked eyes.
A: It is possible. Some people can see spiritual beings if they have the type of Samadhi called Upachara Samadhi. Those who have Upachara Samadhi will be able to communicate or see spiritual beings as the Buddha did. When the Buddha gave Dhamma talks to the Devas or spiritual beings, he used Upachara Samadhi.
Q: Many are of the view that only a Sotapanna or someone with even higher mental attainment is capable of communicating with the Devas. So it is just an incorrect assumption, right?
A: You do not need to be a Sotapanna to communicate with the Devas. Sometimes, even a Sotapanna will not be able to see the Devas or spiritual beings, because he does not need to have this special type of Samadhi ( Upachara Samadhi) to become Enlightened.
Q: There is a story of a frog that died while listening to a Dhamma discourse delivered by the Buddha. As per the story, the frog became a celestial being at Thavuthisa heaven after death. He was able to achieve a better birth by simply listening to the Discourse of the Buddha. My question is, since a frog cannot understand the content of the discourse, how did this particular frog manage to get a better birth by simply listening to a discourse of the Buddha?
A: I have not heard that story, but it is possible. Maybe, the frog used the mind to listen, not the ear to listen. The language of the mind is the same for all – whether you are a frog or a human.
Q: But still, he cannot understand the content right?
A: Well, he might have used his mind and listened to the Buddha’s teachings through his mind directly, not through the speech that we are using right now.
Q: Given this, is there a possibility that we can improve our pets’ next births by exposing them to Dhamma talks or discussing Dhamma matters in their presence?
A: I think they have to have the interest. If they do not have the interest they won’t pay attention to what they hear or listen to. So they have to pay attention, show interest to listen. [About the frog’s case],it may be because of the Buddha’s use of ‘language.’ Perhaps the Buddha was using mental language, not physical language, to communicate with the frog.
Q: Is deep meditation a must to become a Sotapanna? Won’t it be enough to listen to the Dhamma and read the Suttas while practising Dana and Seela?
A: If you already have equanimity, then you do not need to meditate. We need enough equanimity to let go of attachment to our body/ to resist our cravings/ desire for not getting old, getting sick, or die. But if we lack equanimity, that means we still have love and attachment to our bodies. If you can overcome this desire, this craving for not getting sick, getting old then you can become a Sotapanna.
Q: To become Enlightened (become an Arhant) in this birth itself, we have to do deep meditation. Am I correct? Once you said we should not react to anything if we are keen to become Enlightened during this birth itself.
A: If we have practised deep meditation, we won’t react to anything. However, if we have not, we usually react.
When we experience painful feelings or the fear of death, we tend to react strongly. But if we have equanimity and wisdom to guide us not to react, knowing that reacting will only bring suffering, then we can refrain from reacting.
Q: But why is it that despite our best efforts, we often find it impossible not to react to situations?
A: That is because you do not have enough equanimity. That means you have to do more meditation. Practise meditation often.
Q: I am particular about this because many who have family commitments find it difficult to devote 24/7 to meditation. Could you advise?
A: If you lack the money for a first-class ticket, you won’t be able to travel in first class; you’ll have to opt for economy class instead. Similarly, when you practise, you have to apply effort to meditation if you want to become Enlightened. Without meditation, you cannot become Enlightened unless you already had it [equanimity] in your past life. In that case, you don’t have to meditate in this present life. All you have to do is understand the teachings of the Buddha, and then you can become Enlightened.
Q: Did lotus flowers truly appear at each step as Prince Siddhartha took his first seven steps after birth, or is it simply a story from Buddhist literature?
A: Well, I think this is an embellishment by the author of the narrative. But it is possible for a baby ( such as Prince Siddhartha) to be born and walk right away because the mind of the Buddha has strong mindfulness. A strong mindfulness can control and direct the body to walk, but maybe not immediately after coming out of the womb. Maybe after resting for a few hours, then he might be able to stand up and walk.
Q: Prince Siddartha also managed to speak soon after his birth.
A: This is all due to mindfulness. The stronger one’s mindfulness, the greater their ability to control the body.
Q: Should we convince those who slaughter animals for religious reasons that it is not acceptable?
A: It’s better not to convince them unless they ask for your advice. If that’s what they want to do, let them do it. If they ask you, then you can tell them that this is not what the Buddha teaches. The Buddha teaches killing is always wrong regardless of the reason for killing. Killing is killing. Mercy killing is killing. Hatred killing is killing. It is the same. It is the people who make excuses to kill so they have all sorts of excuses for killing. That is all. Killing is always wrong. It is absolutely wrong regardless of the reason for killing.
Q: In old age, some may experience memory loss making it difficult for them to comprehend the Dhamma. Their memory is less reliable, with recollections coming and going unpredictably. If a person in this state passes away, is it uncertain whether they’ll attain a good rebirth?
A: Not necessarily. The memory is not the factor that will cause you to have a good or bad birth. What will cause you to have a good or bad birth is the accumulation of your Kamma – good or bad Kamma. So as long as your accumulation of good Kamma is more than your bad Kamma, you will still have a good birth even if your memory is poor at the time of your death.
Q: Could you advise me on how to help such older people to concentrate more on the Dhamma? Will talking to them Dhamma do them any good?
A: It can provide some help, but not significantly, because the determining factor is the accumulation of your good or bad Kamma throughout your lifetime. This is much more influential than simply listening to a Dhamma talk at the end of your life
Q: So making them listen to Dhamma talks won’t do them much good?
A: It does some good. But it does not change the path of your rebirth unless the Buddha directly talks Dhamma to you and then you can become enlightened, which can then change the course of your rebirth.
Q: What can we do to help the elderly with poor memory?
A: It is too late. You have to do it while they are still strong and have a good memory. Once memory fades, he/she may not understand or appreciate what you’re trying to offer.
The Buddha said to practise the Dhamma when you are young and strong, not when you are old and weak. That’s why the Buddha constantly reminded us that we are going to get old, get sick, and die. When that time comes, you won’t be able to do anything significant. So the time for us to act is now.
Q: Sometimes due to family commitments, many people do not get a chance to lead a life fully committed to the Dhamma. Any advice?
A: That is too bad. When they get the time they won’t be able to do it anyway anymore. That is the sad fact of life. When you have the time you do not want to do it, when you don’t have the time you want to do it.
Q: According to the Buddha we should be able to control our mind. Otherwise, we tend to react etc. How to remain calm despite the outside happenings beyond our control?
A: You need to have strong mindfulness. You also have to have wisdom – to understand the nature of things that you are involved with. If you have both mindfulness and wisdom, you can control your mind to remain calm without reacting to anything or any situation.
Q: Being mindful is taming our monkey mind right?
A: Yeah, that is what being mindful means. Once you can control the mind you gain control over your habits and actions. With mindfulness and wisdom, you can recognise harmful actions and habits and take steps to change them.
Q: Why do most of us find it extremely difficult to develop mindfulness through meditation?
A: It’s because you’re not prioritising your meditation practice. You have other priorities, so you dedicate very little time to your practice of meditation.
I devote 100 percent of my time to meditation, and that way you can reap significant benefits from it. But if you only allocate ten percent of your time to meditation, you’ll likely find that you’re not getting much out of it. It is the importance you place on your meditation practice that truly matters.
So you have to know what you really want. If you want peace and calm, then you have to give the time for your meditation. Give more time for your meditation. But if you want to give priority to your family or office work then you won’t have time for meditation. It is up to you to decide.
Q: Can a Sotapanna decide on his next birth?
A: A Sotapanna can avoid being reborn in lower realms of existence, such as animals or hungry ghosts. However, I don’t think they can choose whether they are born as a king, princess, etc. That is determined by their Kamma.
Q: Can they be born in a Brahma world or Deva world as per their wish?
A: No, a Sotapanna will come back as a human being because he still has sensual desires – he/she still wants to have a wife or husband. If he goes to the Brahma world he will find peace and happiness from meditation. So when he is reborn as a human, he will probably become a monk or nun again.
Q: Our present is made up of our past Kamma. I want to know to what extent can we change the consequences of our past kamma by changing our present behaviour.
A: We cannot change the past. Our past determines our present. But, we can change our future by changing our habits in the present. If we engage in harmful behaviour, we can choose to stop. For example, if we have a habit of drinking alcohol, we can choose to abstain. This decision can alter our future, but we cannot go back and change the past—it’s already gone. Instead, we can focus on the present to prepare for and shape our future.
Q: What is the most accurate way to practise Metta meditation?
A: When you have to deal with people, you should make use of Metta, friendliness, or kindness. Be nice and kind to people, even though you may not like them or they might not like you. If you have to engage with them, try to use Metta, try to be friendly, try to be kind. Try to be forgiving, if they do something wrong.
Q: What is ‘Anatta’?
A: Anatta means “no self.” There is no self. The concept of self is delusional because everything is a work of nature. There is no ‘you’ and ‘me.’ It is the thinking of you and me that creates the illusion of a self. We think we are something, we are a person. But actually, it is just thinking. It is just a concept we create in our minds. And we strongly believe in it to become true.
Q: A mind exists, but a body does not?
A: The mind is a knowing element. The body is a composition of Four Elements (Patavi,Aapo,Thejo, Vayo) and they are all natural forces. They are natural. They are all works of nature.
– 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.
