Dhamma with Ajahn Sujin

(Excerpt from the EN-VN Dhamma discussion with Ajahn Sujin on Zoom on Sun Oct 9th and 16th 2022.) [Giao] Ajahn always said that our understanding is the not enough, so I think I can improve my understanding by reading from the suttas, from the books... [A. Sujin] Does the book say anything about now or not at all? [Giao] The Buddha always talked about what appears at this moment. [A. Sujin] So, the word is for sañña to remember is what is there now, it's so real, it's true, so it's the truth and what is the truth of what is there, for example, just where is vitakka? Is it far away or it's so close, very close... the innmermost, the citta, and vitakka is there with the citta... where and when the reality is, no matter what it is. There are different realities, some are rupas and some are namas, and citta and cetasikas are namas, but citta is the chief of experiencing and vitakka arises with citta and some cetasikas do not arise with the moment of citta, no...

(Excerpt from the Dhamma discussion with Ajahn Sujin on Zoom on Sat Oct 15th 2022. Suitable for beginners. [Maeve] Ajahn, may I ask a question about effort, guarding against unwholesome thoughts, abandoning them, developing and maintaining wholesome thoughts and the idea of someone who does that, who does the abandoning, who does the guarding etc. [A. Sujin] The idea of self? Apply[ing] or understand[ing] what is the nature of effort: is it real, is it there? For example we understand the reality, the cetasika which is viriya, by word: viriya is such and such, but at what moment is there? At moment of akusala is there viriya or effort? Or, at moment of kusala is there viriya? Or, at moment of thinking is there viriya? And so on. To understand it more, what is meant by viriya: very very little, very very weak, until it's so strong, sharp enough, because of right understanding, to understand that: effort for what? To understand the truth or effort to try to know it, to exp...

(Excerpt from the EN-CN Dhamma discussion with Ajahn Sujin on Zoom on Sun Oct 9th 2022.) [A. Sujin] Is there only one problem, only the problem of Ukraine? Or there are other problems too? Can anyone stop problems from arising? [No] So, why think about it, worry about it? Is there problem now? The problem [now] is that no one can stop thinking about the Ukraine problem... And can it be solved, any problem? Any answer, for solving Ukraine's problems? [Irene] In the absolute truth, in the world of dhammas no one can prevent any problem, no one can do anything because there's no one [A. Sujin] ...as it is. So, should we keep on thinking about the Ukraine problem? [Irene] It's not necessary to think about the problem of Ukraine but [that] also cannot be controlled. [A. Sujin] That's why, if one dies thinking about Ukraine's problems, [would] that be worthwhile? [No] So, what is the real problem? Otherwise there must be problems after problems after pr...

(Excerpt from the Dhamma discussion with Ajahn Sujin on Zoom on Sat Sep 24th 2022) [Sundara] Tan Ajahn, when you talk about attending to the characteristic how is that different from thinking about it, can you elaborate a little bit about that? [A. Sujin] At first we have to know what attention (manasikara cetasika) is, is it real, is it a reality? And who knows that it arises each moment, together with the arising of citta, no matter what kind of citta, it's there performing its function, at moment of seeing attention is there, attending to the object for [sañña to] mark, to remember it, right? attention arises with each citta, this is the difference, but seeing is not thinking. So, attention is there together with seeing when seeing sees, a reality attends to the object for sañña to mark and remember it. So it (seeing) isn't the moment of thinking, that's why there has to be the right understanding of the difference between seeing and thinking because thinkin...

Transcript by Huong from 2016-01-21-am Dhamma discussion, edited by Alberto. A Sujin : We have to understand the function and characteristic of each cetasika, they arise together, so how can they be known? Because at this moment they arise together and fall away together, but by studying carefully, it is the beginning of understanding each cetasika, the difference between cetasikas. For example , phassa is not vitakka, right? And phassa arises with each citta, it's a condition for the arising of citta, so we try very hard to think about vitakka, if [we think that] it's only thinking that's not right at all, but if we think about touching, just a little after phassa because phassa is just the very first moment of touching and of experiencing the object, that is not enough, just phassa, that's why it (citta) needs other cetasikas, even [it's just] for a moment. And vitakka is there, after seeing or the ten consciousnesses which see, hear and so on. So, as muc...