Ajahn Chah: Read a BOOK or a HEART?

Ajahn Chah (ajahnchah.org) via Ven. Sujato, Ellie Askew, Dhr. Seven (ed.), Wisdom Quarterly

How to overcome doubt (Ajahn Chah)

As far as we should be concerned about the ancient monastic tradition, a Buddhist monastic should spend at least five years with [his or her] teacher.

Some days one should avoid speaking to anyone. Don't allow yourself to speak or talk very much. Don't read books! Read your own heart instead.

Take Wat Pah Pong [Ajahn Chah's Thai Forest Tradition monastery], for example. These days many university graduates are coming to ordain. I try to stop them from spending their time reading books about Dhamma, because these people are always reading books.

They have so many opportunities for reading books, but opportunities for reading their own hearts are rare. So when they come to temporarily ordain for three months following the Thai custom, we try to get them to close their books and instructional manuals.

Ajahn Chah (right) with Ajahn Sumedho

While they are ordained they have a splendid opportunity to read their own hearts.

Listening to our own heart is really very interesting. This untrained heart races around following its own untrained habits: It jumps about excitedly, randomly, because it has never been trained. Therefore, train the heart!

Buddhist meditation is about the heart -- to develop the heart/mind, to develop our own heart. This is very, very important. This training of the heart is the main emphasis.

Buddhism is the practice/teaching (dispensation, sasana) of the heart. Only this! One who practices to develop the heart is one who practices Buddhism.

• Since the time of the Buddha, there have been nuns