Mariel M.

Mirasol May 16, 2021

CHMSC – 7th Bah

"Living Dhamma"

by Venerable Ajahn Chah

"Breathing is vital to people's lives. If they saw Dhamma practice as vital to their lives they would see it as

important as their breathing."

Venerable Ajahn Chah hared his teachings on how to really live life with Dhamma. Teachings that we often

heard or read several times and very easy simple to understand however a very difficult to put into practice.

This book tells us the proper ways of  adapting Buddhism until to our death. It helped us to train our mind to know

those sense impressions, and not get lost in them. To make it peaceful. Just this is the aim of all this difficult practice

we put ourselves through.

How can we really make our heart good? Most of the people who encountered Buddhism might say it is just

simply by following and understanding the Buddha's teachings. According to Venerable Ajahn Chah, practicing good

works doesn't define you as a true Buddhist if you still don't want to give up wrongdoings. Having a good heart is by

practicing the good and also giving up all the bad regarding with  your speech, thoughts and actions because as what

Ajahn Chah says, it is the heart of Buddhism. Through these, we can attain Kusulassūpasampadā which our mind

became virtuous and skillful.

If suffering arises most of us don't know what to do. Don't know how to solve the problem and tend to be

carried away by emotions. Easily get angry and the desires are getting more and more. Dhamma teaches us how to

get rid from all of these and we understand yet still continue doing the unwholesome habits. Three evils will always

be there, tempting you to do or think bad things but it is still up to you if you let yourself tempted. You knew that

such thing might be the cause of suffering but you let yourself drown to it. We couldn't avoid this because we have

lack of focus, focus on making our own mind clear and at peace. Instead, we are more focused to other people that
surround us. We tend to look of others’ imperfection but we ourselves failed to see our own mistakes, our own

behaviors and our imperfections. We tend to educate others but we fail to educate our selves. As what this book

says, "Make yourself a refuge unto yourself", simple. Before criticizing other people , criticize your self first. Before

educating other people, make sure that you yourself understands it and you are putting it also into your own actions.

In order for us to attain calm mind, we must learn to let go. Letting go of everything except from our wisdom

instead of holding on to something that is transient and will just cause of our suffering. In short, we should apply to

our selves the impermanence. It is difficult, even I can hardly practice but I must. This idea is not new but we must

continue to remind our self that nothing in this world will last forever. Everything is impermanent, even our life. We

must remind our-self to be just contented on how the things they are. If we still continue to hold on, things will still

leave and we don't a choice but to let go of it.

According to Venerable Ajahn Chah, we should show importance to Dhamma as how breathing is important to

us. With it, we will able to find truth about life. If you really want to live your life with Buddhism even you have a

complete knowledge about the Tripitaka it is still not enough if you are not putting it to practice. You are just being a

person who is good in talking but not in doing. Just what Buddha said to Tucho Pithila. He is the person who nobody

would dare questions in everything he taught. But when he pay respect to Buddha, Buddha called him as "Venerable

Empty Scripture". He wondered why he was called by that name? Then he realized it was because he was not

applying to himself the things that he is teaching to people.

We can all live by practicing Dhamma appropriately if we are really determined to. They said practice makes perfect.

If we try to follow the Dhamma but still you commited mistake without the full intention, it is fine. Just keep on

following what the Dhamma taught just like the flowing water, still continue to flow no matter what obstacles it

passed by.