Teachings from Ajahn Chah (1918 - 1992)

Ajahn Chah – a great meditation teacher who influenced a lot of Americans, just like ZMSS. Many travelled all the way to his forest monastery, Wat Pah Pong, in Northern Thailand to learn from him. Ajahn Brahm was one of them.

Here are some words from the great teacher to be shared:

On Body:
“Conditions don’t belong to us. They follow their own natural course. We can’t do anything about the way the body is. We can beautify it a little, make it look attractive and clean for a while, like the young girls who paint their lips and let their nails grow long but when old age arrives, everyone is in the same boat. That is the way the body is. We can’t make it any other way. But what we can improve and beautify is the mind.”

On Breath:
“There are people who are born and die and never once are aware of their breath going in and out of their body. That’s how far away they live from themselves.”

On Heart & Mind:
“If your mind is happy, then you are happy anywhere you go. When wisdom awakens within you, you will see Truth wherever you look. Truth is all there is. It’s like when you’ve learned how to read – you can read anywhere you go.”

“Look at your mind. The one who carries things thinks he’s got things but the one who looks on only sees the heaviness. Throw away things, lose them, and find lightness.”

“Defilements are distressed. It’s not that the mind is distressed! We don’t know what our mind and defilements are. Whatever we aren’t satisfied with, we just don’t want anything to do with it. Our way of life is not difficult. What’s difficult is not being satisfied, not agreeing with it. Our defilements are the difficulties.”

On Impermanence:
“Conditions exist through change. You can’t prevent it. Just think, could you exhale without inhaling? Would it feel good? Or could you just inhale? We want things to be permanent but that can’t be. It’s impossible.”

“If you know that all things are impermanent, all your thinking will gradually unwind and you won’t need to think too much. Whenever anything arises, all you need to say is, “Oh, another one!” Just that!”

“What can we take for certain? Nothing! There’s nothing but feelings. Sufferings arises, stay, then passes away. Then happiness replaces suffering – only this. Outside of this, there is nothing. But we are lost people running and grabbing at feelings continuously. Feelings are not real, only changes.”