Various Ajahns - Recollections of Ajahn Chah

Recollections of Ajahn Chah

Amaravati Publications
Amaravati Buddhist Monastery
Great Gaddesden, Hertfordshire, HP1 3BZ
United Kingdom,
www.amaravati.org

Amaravati Publications is a part of The English Sangha Trust Ltd, UK registered charity no. 231310

First published by Amaravati Publications 2013

This electronic edition published 2014

Digital Edition 1.0

ePub ISBN 978-1-870205-95-5

Copyright Amaravati Publications 2014

This book is offered as a gift of Dhamma. It has been made available through the faith, effort and generosity of people who wish to share the understanding it contains with whomever is interested. This act of freely offering is itself part of what makes this a Dhamma publication, a book based on spiritual values. Please do not sell this book in any form, nor otherwise use it for commercial purposes.

If you wish to help publications such as this one continue to be made available, you can make a contribution, however small or large, by either contacting one of our monasteries (for a listing see www.forestsangha.org) or by visiting www.amaravati.org or www.forestsanghapublications.org

This work is licenced under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 UK: England & Wales Licence. To view a copy of this licence, visit: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/uk/

Summary:

You are free:

• to copy, distribute, display and perform the work
  

Under the following conditions:

• Attribution: You must give the original author credit.
  
• Non-Commercial: You may not use this work for commercial purposes.
  
• No Derivative Works: You may not alter, transform, or build upon this work.
  

With the understanding that:

• Waiver: Any of the above conditions can be waived if you get permission from the copyright holder.
  
• Public Domain: Where the work or any of its elements is in the public domain under applicable law, that status is in no way affected by the license.
  
• Other Rights: In no way are any of the following rights affected by the license:
  

• Your fair dealing or fair use rights, or other applicable copyright exceptions and limitations;
• The author's moral rights;
• Rights other persons may have either in the work itself or in how the work is used, such as publicity or privacy rights.

• Notice: For any reuse or distribution, you must make clear to others the licence terms of this work.
  

The English Sangha Trust Ltd operating as Amaravati Publications asserts its moral right to be identified as the author of this book.

The English Sangha Trust Ltd requests that you attribute ownership of the work to Amaravati Publications on copying, distribution, display or performance of the work.

This book and many others from Venerable Ajahn Chah, Ajahn Sumedho, and their disciples are freely offered and available in various electronic formats as well as in print. You can find them via our monasteries and through the websites listed below, along with other resources such as audio talks, meditation instruction and retreats. Everything is free of charge, and everyone is welcome.

For books and audio:
www.forestsanghapublications.org
www.amaravati.org

For a list of Ajahn Chah community monasteries worldwide:
www.forestsangha.org

For further Theravada Buddhist literature including English translations of much of the Pali Canon:
www.accesstoinsight.org

The first chapter of this book has been adapted from a series of transcribed interviews which were conducted by Ajahn Kongrit Ratanawanno during his time at Amaravati Buddhist Monastery, UK. Ajahn Kongrits home monastery is Wat Beung Saensook, Thailand. In most cases the interviewee was asked the simple question of what had inspired them most in being with Ajahn Chah.

Ajahn Sumedho

Luang Por Chah had a great deal of mett (loving-kindness) and I felt welcomed by the way he received me at Wat Pah Pong he seemed to be interested in me. I felt intuitively that this was a very wise man. At the time I couldnt understand Thai very well, but what I saw of how he lived his life and his general way of being was very pleasing to me. His teaching was very direct and he was able to see very quickly where I was at.

He didnt want me to spend time reading or studying, just to practise. He emphasized everybodys paipat (practice). When I first came to him, he told me to put my books away and to just read the citta, my mind. I was happy to do that, because I was weary of studying Buddhism and wanted to practise it instead of just reading about it. This was what he was encouraging me to do.

Though he gave a lot of talks, which I couldnt properly understand for the first two years, he emphasized kor wat (monastic duties), the way you live in the monastery: paying attention, being mindful with food and the robes, and with the ku (hut) and the monastery. He was like a mirror that would reflect my state of mind. He always seemed to be completely present. Id get carried away with thoughts and emotions sometimes, but by just being around him, I found that I could suddenly let go I could drop what I was holding onto without even telling him. His presence helped me to see what I was doing and what I was attached to. So I decided that I would live with him as long as I could, since such monks are hard to find. I stayed with him for ten years at Wat Pah Pong and at various branch monasteries.

Ajahn Pasanno

I cannot say there is really any single thing that impressed me most, there were many things that impressed me. Certainly Luang Por Chah set an example for us in the sense that he didnt just teach from theory; when he taught he was always present he was an example of what was skilful and beautiful.

The images that come to mind are of Luang Por himself being a great teacher and everybody respecting him so much. But I also remember a senior monk coming to visit Wat Pah Pong, and Luang Por paying respects to and looking after this monk. Seeing the teaching in action without his being the Teacher really impressed me. It was a very direct teaching on not-self and a living example of the ease and freedom that come from penetrating not-self: neither a theory, nor a Buddhist philosophy. That was the way he taught us: living the example, rather than just giving us the philosophy. He had a great ability to teach and draw people to the Dhamma by using these ordinary life situations.

I remember one time we were coming back from piapat (alms-round) and I was walking along behind him. My Thai was not so good, so I was just being respectful and walking close by him. We came in from the back of the monastery, and as we were walking through the forest, two lizards fell from a tree. Luang Por looked, then turned and said, See those lizards, they were mating. If they werent caught in sensuality they wouldnt have fallen and hurt themselves like this! It was very simple, and for a new monk a very funny and direct teaching.