Dhamma with Ajahn Sujin

(Excerpt from the Dhamma discussion with Ajahn Sujin on Zoom on Sat 21st Oct 2023.) [Jotika] It's like kind of hopeless. [A. Sujin] May I ask what's your hope? [Jotika] My hope that is that there is an opening for peace. [A. Sujin] Can you do anything or can someone do anything? [Jotika] I'm sort of sending metta. (sobs) [A. Sujin] Is hope dukkha? [Jotika] No hope. [A. Sujin] No hope, no dukkha but when is hope is dukkha, isn't? Did the Buddha want anyone to have dukkha? [No.] So, he taught about what is dukkha and what is the very, very dangerous [dukkha] because some would like to have pleasant situations instead of unpleasant situations, but at moment of having unpleasant situation is it dukkha? [Dukkha, yes.] And what about the pleasant situation, is it dukkha as well, or is it not dukkha? At moment of having pleasant situation, is it dukkha or is it no dukkha? [Jotika] Yes, in theory it is dukkha. [A. Sujin] See, that's why what is more ...

Transcribed excerpt from the Dhamma discussion with Ajahn Sujin on Zoom on Mon Oct 16th 2023. 00:00 - What seems to be now it's just everything as some-thing and some-one all the time [A. Sujin] Is it what we are talking about, about iddhi-pada? [Yes] It's not now, but it means the understanding of the point of what is now, to be known, for example, even it's now appearing, it cannot be known, so, iddhi-pada: how can it be known? Without any understanding at all, without the intellectual understanding, how can there be a little more understanding of the subtlety of what is there now and every moment? That's why it has to understand whatever is there as it is, as not self, but what seems to be now it's just everything as something and someone, all the time. That's why life is so short, no one can realize the truth, enlighten the truth that the Buddha had enlightened, but beginning to understand the subtlety, the very profound truth that without understa...

Excerpt from the EN-CN Dhamma discussion with Ajahn Sujin on Zoom - Sun Aug 20th 2023 (Suitable for beginner). 00:00 - Citta, the chief of experiencing because arising non-stop [Vincent] Dazhuang had a comment about that which think it's different from what is thought about. [A. Sujin] Is there thinking now? Is it known now? Is there seeing right now? What is seeing and does anyone understand it as it is? And the answer is right now at moment of seeing, what is it? It's easy to say it's a moment of seeing and that means that there must be a reality which sees because the object of seeing is seen, so we simply say that seeing is that which arises to see, but it is not that which is seen, it's the reality which can experience the object which is seen, is that right? But is there any understanding of the reality which sees, as it is? It's not that which is hard or soft, it's not that which is seen, but it's the reality, a reality, which can experience...

(Transcribed excerpt from the Dhamma discussion with Ajahn Sujin on Zoom on Mon Oct 2nd 2023.) 00:00 - Beginning to consider that which is behind that which is appearing [A. Sujin] Talking about it again and again and again... what appears? At moment of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching it's that which appears, but that which experiences has to be there [too], each moment, otherwise what is now appearing could not appear at all. Beginning to consider that which is behind that which is appearing: there must be a reality experiencing it, while what appears is visible object or sound because when they are not there: no seeing, no hearing at all, but at moment of sound appearing or visible object appearing, there must be a reality which, at that very moment, experiences it as it is, but it's arising and falling away so very rapidly, so no time to think about that which experiences now what is seen or appears or is heard right now. That's why we begin to...