Dhamma is in your mind. Dont believe others. Just listen to your mind. You don't have to go anywhere

zenmyste

''Dhamma is in your mind. Dont believe others. Just listen to your mind. You don't have to go anywhere..''

~Ajahn Chah~

Do you think reading books and trying to ''study'' can become a hindrance then?

Should I just throw out all my books and influences and Just take up a regular MEDITATION PRACTICE.. and (as ajahn chah puts it) ''just listen to my mind because i dont have to go anywhere.. (therefore i dont really need all the books)

?

taiyaki

Nothing is so black and white.

It is all dependent upon the individual's condition and the time of season for the practitioner.

If you find yourself reading too much and not applying the reading in practice and in life then one must read less and practice more.

But that doesn't mean one should stop reading completely. Meditation alone will not get oneself far. Right view is very important on the path and knowing what exactly to contemplate and investigate is key.

This is why a teacher is so important. To really see our conditions and to shove it up our face so that we can see our narcism and avoidance.

Or we can just see directly for ourselves what is of benefit and what isn't. For a long time I had lots of energy in study and reading so that is what I did. Other times I had to channel that same energy into practice and application. Then at other times I do both in balance.

The above quote is great for an advance practitioner. Just jump right in and recognize everything in this instant. But how many can actually do that? Study and practice function so that we can build up the conditions for more natural occurrences of Ah Ha moments. Because really the dharma is naked right in front of us. We are the dharma but we cannot see thus we study and practice and have a sangha and teacher. Without those right conditions self deception will damn us.

Jeffrey

You can use concepts to expose harmful concepts that you already have.

Ajahn Chah is not addressing studying books, I feel. He is addressing the difference between owning your own practice versus turning it over to somebody else. Therapy is like that too. At first you just expect the therapist to 'fix me', but eventually you realize that it is in your hands.

BhikkhuJayasara

what Ajahn Chah is saying is that everything you really need to practice dhamma is in your own mind.. and I 100% agree with him. I think though that learning HOW to use your own mind is something that not everyone knows intuitively.

also I agree with what Jeffrey said.

lobster

Should I just throw out all my books and influences and Just take up a regular MEDITATION PRACTICE

should eh?

You should set up an altar. Do prostrations. Study more, do walking meditation. Chant. Learn Tai Chi, do yoga, become a vegetarian. Lead a simplified life. Follow the eightfold path . . .

Ah 'should' . . . Goodbye to you old friend . . . :wave:

pegembara

“Bhikkhus, this is the forerunner, this is the precursor for the arising of the sun, namely dawn. And in just the same way, bhikkhus, this is the forerunner, this is the precursor for wholesome states, namely right view. For one who has right view, right thought occurs. For one with right thought, right speech occurs. For one with right speech, right action occurs. For one with right action, right livelihood occurs. For one with right livelihood, right effort occurs. For one with right effort, right mindfulness occurs. For one with right mindfulness, right concentration occurs. For one with right concentration, right knowledge occurs. For one with right knowledge, right liberation occurs.”

~ Aṅguttara-Nikāya, Book of the Tens, Sutta 121

'Dhamma is in your mind. Don't believe others. Listen to what the Buddha has to say, then listen to your mind. Check out for yourself the truths that has been pointed out to you. You don't have to go anywhere..''

By simply listening to your mind without guidance, you might end up in the wrong place.

Deepankar

This is not entirely Ajahn Chah's teaching based upon one sentence. As for the precursor forerunner sort of, it have to be explored dearly on the 5 faculties in great depth. Otherwise, there is no purpose for tripitaka to exist in volumnous, Buddha just could have advice, just meditate and dont examine the tripitaka. Meditation is still needed regardlessly, it depends on the aptitude and merits accrued in past lives. Be open minded in exploring and meditation, continue to enjoy it in great joys.

vinlyn

zenmyste said:

''Dhamma is in your mind. Dont believe others. Just listen to your mind. You don't have to go anywhere..''

~Ajahn Chah~

Do you think reading books and trying to ''study'' can become a hindrance then?

Should I just throw out all my books and influences and Just take up a regular MEDITATION PRACTICE.. and (as ajahn chah puts it) ''just listen to my mind because i dont have to go anywhere.. (therefore i dont really need all the books)

?

I don't believe you.

Wisdom23

i think naturally most people have a buddha nature if you will, i know undisturebed i do. But saying this there are many pollutants that can stray us of the trach. Reading Dhamma/ Dharma just keeps you on your buddhist path. Plus and most importantly it is fun. ( Well i enjoy it)

DairyLama

zenmyste said:

''Dhamma is in your mind. Dont believe others. Just listen to your mind. You don't have to go anywhere..''

~Ajahn Chah~

Basically he's pointing out that insight develops through direct observation, rather than through a proliferation of views and opinions.

mettanando

Luang Por Chah did not add to the great pile of discussions and opinions ABOUT stuff.
And he strongly discouraged others from doing that.
He said " just learn to read the book of the heart, its all you need to get you home ."

Jeffrey

The tao that can be told is not the eternal tao.

David

pegembara said:

“Bhikkhus, this is the forerunner, this is the precursor for the arising of the sun, namely dawn. And in just the same way, bhikkhus, this is the forerunner, this is the precursor for wholesome states, namely right view. For one who has right view, right thought occurs. For one with right thought, right speech occurs. For one with right speech, right action occurs. For one with right action, right livelihood occurs. For one with right livelihood, right effort occurs. For one with right effort, right mindfulness occurs. For one with right mindfulness, right concentration occurs. For one with right concentration, right knowledge occurs. For one with right knowledge, right liberation occurs.”

~ Aṅguttara-Nikāya, Book of the Tens, Sutta 121

'Dhamma is in your mind. Don't believe others. Listen to what the Buddha has to say, then listen to your mind. Check out for yourself the truths that has been pointed out to you. You don't have to go anywhere..''

By simply listening to your mind without guidance, you might end up in the wrong place.

Aha... I had an odd feeling there was just a wee bit of a misinterpretation there.

pegembara

@ ourself

Anders Behring Breivik
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2012/may/22/anders-behring-breivik-meditation

misecmisc1

''Dhamma is in your mind. Dont believe others. Just listen to your mind. You don't have to go anywhere..'' - What Ajahn Chah means here is - you do not have to go somewhere to see Dhamma, rather Dhamma arises and ceases in your mind - you do not need to believe others, rather you can listen to them and then check for yourself, whether what they are saying seems ok to you or not.

But since at beginning, the mind is defiled, so guidance is needed at beginning - that guidance can come from reading books or listening dhamma talks or learning it from a teacher or by anyother method. But once a theoretical understanding of the Dhamma is there, the practical application of it is necessary, to make the mind get rid of defilements and ignorance.

So you do not need to throw your books, rather need to throw the defilements from your mind.

zenmyste

Jeffrey said:

The tao that can be told is not the eternal tao.

Does that mean the dharma that is taught is the the eternal dharma!

I love taoism!
But ive never looked at it this way before about buddhism!
Mmmmmm!!!

Jeffrey

The dharma neither exists nor does not exist. It is not both, nor is it other than these two. Sun, that is peace.

driedleaf

''Dhamma is in your mind. Dont believe others. Just listen to your mind. You don't have to go anywhere..''

~Ajahn Chah~

My interpretation:
"Dhamma is in your mind."
Natural is your mind. Your mind is part of nature.

"Just listen to your mind."
Watch and observe the nature in and of your mind.

"You don't have to go anywhere.."
If you understand the nature of mind, you will understand the nature that is all around us.

vinlyn

I'd have to question the wisdom of this concept.

Do all Buddhists agree on -- for example -- rebirth or karma?

Does a war lord who is Buddhist have the same concept of Dhamma as a monk?

So either the concept is wrong or Buddhism is an ever-changing collection of concepts.

DaltheJigsaw

It's not complicated... "Balance" Books are an ingredient when making soup, but so is broth, water, veggies and etc. If you need to read a few words, sentences, paragraphs to get you inspired to sit, do it it, but don't force it. Dharma is simple. No need to complicate it. I used to complicate things, but it got out of hand quickly. So I am giving you advice from experience. Hope this helps!:)

Jeffrey

The ancient masters slept without dreams and woke up without worries.
Their food was plain.
Their breath came from deep inside them.
They didn't cling to life, weren't anxious about death.
They emerged without desire and re-entered without resistance.
They came easily; they went easily.
They didn't forget where they were from;
They didn't ask where they were going.
They took everything as it came, gladly,
And walked into death without fear.
They accepted life as a gift,
And they handed it back gratefully,

- Chuang-tzu

lobster

The above quote is great for an advanced practitioner. Just jump right in and recognize everything in this instant.

Theory and practice. It is equally valid to throw away meditation and study. It is also valid to develop ones experience of life to develop understanding. All of us need a middle way in all these approaches.
It depends where you really are, what you are really like and what you actually require. How many of us know that from study, meditation and teachers?
Some do, some pretend, some are still learning . . . :wave: