Ajahn Chah says that if you want to transform the mind, you must to know and transform the heart. And when the practice gets uncomfortable and you want to quit, that’s when you know you’re on the right track. The whole reason for studying the dhamma, the teachings of the Buddha, is to search for a way to transcend suffering and attain peace and happiness. Whether we study [...]
About Ajahn Chah
Advice for Someone Who is Dying
Ajahn Chah's simple, profound advice to an aging student approaching her death. Today I have brought nothing material of any substance to offer you, only Dhamma, the teachings of the Buddha. Listen well. You should understand that even the Buddha himself, with his great store of accumulated virtue, could not avoid physical death. When he reached old age, he relinquished his [...]
Nibbana Is Giving Up, Letting Go, and Being Free
Ajahn Chah compares awakened knowledge to counting fruit. Once you've got it, you don't have to count again. Better we should focus our energy on giving up what is evil, practicing what is good, and purifying the mind. The Buddha taught to see the body in the body. What does this mean? We are all familiar with the parts of the body, such as hair, nails, teeth, and skin. So [...]
Awakening “the One Who Knows”
The Buddho is "the one who knows in accordance with the truth." The renowned Thai Theravadin master Ajahn Chah (1918-1992) says that this clear and penetrating knowing frees us from the deception and suffering of untrained mind. There are two ways to support Buddhism. One is known as amisapuja, supporting through material offerings. These are the four supports of food, [...]