Khanti, the habit of developing right understanding
Excerpt from the Viet-Eng Dhamma discussion with Ajahn Sujin on Zoom on September 13th 2026.
Khanti, each moment of understanding that the truth is here and now, unknown
[T. Bach:] Ajahn, Sister Hua asked about the kinds of khanti (patience). From what I heard, it is khanti-ñāṇa. Could you please tell us more about these?
[A. Sujin:] What is khanti again? A reality. What is it? [It arises with ñāṇa (understanding), so it has to be with pañña.]
So if it is just a few moments of khanti, can it develop to the degree that it can understand the truth of what is there, as we have heard? Like, what arises falls away instantly, for example. Is that ñāṇa or not ñāṇa yet? And what is meant by ñāṇa? [That refers to a high level of vipassana-ñāṇa.]
Okay. So if there is not the habit of khanti, a little more, a little more, to understand the truth little by little until it's so firm, it cannot be ñāṇa yet. For the first round of the Ariya Saccas, it's not vipassana-ñāṇa. But without khanti, without the understanding of the truth, khanti not to do something different, but to develop the understanding of the truth, can there be the degree of understanding which can realize the truth? Not at all, right?
For example, now, if there is no considering or discussing the truth of this moment, can that be ñāṇa to realize the truth? Not yet. Not at all. That is why: how long will it take? And that is khanti, each moment of understanding that the truth is right here and now, but it's not known yet. So without hearing it again, considering it again, there can never be getting closer to understanding or realizing the truth of this moment at all. Isn't that khanti with pañña? Developing on and on and on to understand the truth, stage by stage.
Khanti to hear it again, to consider it again, to let it go again
So it's just right understanding conditioning, a little more khanti on and on and on. Without right understanding at all, there cannot be khanti to hear it again, to consider it again, to let it go again, gradually until the truth appears to ñāṇa, not just the first round of the Ariya Saccas. Is it true? When that hasn't happened yet, what is it now? It can be known: without khanti, without understanding, how can it develop moment to moment to be able to penetrate the truth of what is there, which is experienced and has just gone instantly?
The truth can be realized when there is more khanti, firm confidence in the truth, not doing anything else, but listening again and again. And the more there is understanding the more khanti gradually develops - so much khanti for the first round to become the second round - because it has to be unexpected. So samma-sati of the Eightfold Path is there instantly, conditioned by the understanding of the object which is there. So it can develop understanding of the truth as it is, little by little.
How come for visible object to appear as no one, not anything? See, the ultimate truth. It takes khanti with right understanding. Without expectation, because at the moment of expecting, it is lobha. It hinders instantly.
Khanti, the habit of developing right understanding
So it's the development of right understanding now that will become khanti-ñāṇa. And each moment of understanding the truth shows that it is so very, very subtle. It becomes a habit, adhivasana-khanti. Not just one for or two weeks or years, but uncountable moments of khanti for the development of understanding. As habit of doing nothing else. Not doing anything, not trying to do other things, but understanding the words of truth, which are so very deep. Hearing again about that which is seen, again and again. There is no way to experience it as it is without khanti until it becomes the habit of developing right understanding, the ñāṇa which can experience the truth of it.
So these are just words, but the truth is now. Is there enough khanti to know that it's so far, the experiencing of that which is seen now as it is? No one at all. No Khun Tam Bach. See? No table. Not anything at all - adhivasana-khanti.
And more than that, even right understanding at the degree of the first vipassana-ñāṇa, is never enough, and so far away from the strong ones because it's just taruna-vipassana. It's still weak, not strong enough to experience the arising and falling away of nama and rupa clearly. So now it's not clear at all when we talk about how what is there has arisen and gone instantly. But right understanding is not enough to experience that. So the truth is not as clear as vipassana-ñāṇa. From adhivasana-khanti until it is khanti-ñāṇa.
Without khanti, that ñāṇa cannot arise at all. So khanti-ñāṇa is not doing anything at all, just understanding a little more. With right understanding, developing on and on, little by little, so very little. But each moment conditions a little more understanding, getting closer to the truth.
Khanti not to count, not to hope, not to wish, not to try but careful considering
When there is firm confidence in the dhammas, which are so very subtle. For example, that which is seen does not appear as it is. Be true to the truth. When pañña, which has been developed through khanti, before there can be the khanti of the third round, there must be the khanti of the first round. With right understanding of the truth of Dhamma, of that very moment, not just the word.
So even doubt is real. It requires so much khanti to understand doubt as not-I-at-all. See? Until then, how much khanti is needed to understand not just doubt, but anything now as it is. No selection. All are dhammas, all are anatta. Great patience. Even if it is not yet the khanti-ñāṇa of vipassana-ñāṇa, the third round. But it is the beginning of being so khanti. Not to count, not to hope, not to wish, not to try. But careful considering is the only factor or condition to understand the truth as it is, as dhamma.
So now, what appears when there is the awareness or direct understanding, it is just a reality. No need to say it's that which experiences or that which cannot experience because the characteristic of that shows up as it is: hardness. See? No word. It's there - not that which experiences hardness. And hardness cannot be my head, my toe, my arm at all. Hardness is just hardness.
So many moments experiencing that which has arisen and fallen away instantly. That's why the question can be: where is seeing? See? In the plane of the five khandhas, rupa has to be there as the base for seeing to arise. No thought about it, until also that which is a condition for seeing also arises, only to fall away.
Khanti in not trying to do something but carefully consider the truth
Not anyone at all from head to toe. Is that true? Dhamma? Is there any patience to understand more and more firmly that what is there has arisen and gone unknowingly? No matter what, the eye base or that which impinges on it, the seeing or that which is seen, all have gone. Is there patience enough not to do anything?
Doubt is there. No understanding of doubt as just a reality, not anyone's doubt at all. So whatever is taken for me, instantly, by conditions - the accumulation of wrong understanding and ignorance - can there be letting go of that? Little by little.
Great patience. Listening, considering, and developing at any time, understanding the difference between the first round of the Ariya Saccas and the second round, how much khanti is there? Not to do anything, not trying to do anything, but carefully considering the truth. So there can be the instant awareness with right understanding of what is there right now.
We are not just talking about them in words, but they are there arising and falling away all the time. And great khanti, from the first round of the First Ariya Sacca to become the second round. So great, and greater, and greater, and greater, to let go even of the very slight attachment to the idea of something and someone which appear now as someone and something.
It depends on patience to understand the truth and to be true to it
So no matter what word we use for khanti: khanti-ñāṇa, adhivasana-khanti, or whatever, it depends on patience to understand the truth and to be true to the truth. How much - or how little - understanding of what is there compared to the way it is?
How long will it take to let go of the idea of self, or someone seen, or something seen, all day, all life - all moments in one's life. Khanti is there, isn't it? [A lot of khanti is needed in order to realize the truth, Ajahn.]
So now, a little more understanding of khanti, not as self or anyone. [No-one, Ajahn.]
That's why there are many degrees of khanti. So very little now compared to the great khanti to realize the truth. No doubt now about different words for different degrees of khanti...
Mp3 audio file: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T_VwhTmhUf4ID4qs4lsenl8BCRGthS7y
Dhammahome source video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zrjw3zAD8Q