The Travelin' Man

body is ours, that it is something that belongsto us—we just end up suffering.We go on to love and obsess about thisbody of ours as well as the bodies of others.We’re always taking them to be ourselves oras belonging to us. We go and obsess overthe body of our father, the body of ourmother—go to obsess over the body of ourchild, our husband or wife. We can neveraccept their separation from us.But the Buddha, regarding the variousthings in this world, has skillfully explainedthat, “apart from being without-self,additionally they are impermanent.” Theylack self-awareness and are unstable. Theyare not always going to be with us. They aregoing to have to have a final day. For all ofthe various things in this world, “it is justnatural that once they have been born,50 The Travelin’ Man The Travelin’ Man 50

body is ours, that it is something that belongsto us—we just end up suffering.We go on to love and obsess about thisbody of ours as well as the bodies of others.We’re always taking them to be ourselves oras belonging to us. We go and obsess overthe body of our father, the body of ourmother—go to obsess over the body of ourchild, our husband or wife. We can neveraccept their separation from us.But the Buddha, regarding the variousthings in this world, has skillfully explainedthat, “apart from being without-self,additionally they are impermanent.” Theylack self-awareness and are unstable. Theyare not always going to be with us. They aregoing to have to have a final day. For all ofthe various things in this world, “it is justnatural that once they have been born,The Travelin’ Man 50eventually they are going to have todisappear too.”There isn’t anyone who can determinewhen they are going to have to go. For somepeople, it is the case that once born, it isalready their time. Some live for just twodays, a month, or a year. Others make it toten years, while still others reach onehundred years. Just two days ago, alayperson came to saibat in Baan Amphur.He was one hundred years old.Coincidentally, he was born on New Year’sDay, the first of January. And now he has justdied at the age of one hundred andtwenty-two days.Everybody, no matter who they are,must die, even the Buddha. The Buddha livedfor just eighty years. Not everyone is thesame. The duration of our lives is going todiffer, but what is certain is that we all havePhraPhra Ajahn Suchart Abhij Ajahn Suchart Abhijātāoto 5511

to die alike. Some are dying slowly, some aredying quickly, some are dying earlier, someare dying later - it differs just in this.But about dying, there isn’t anything tobe scared of if we can understand that weare not this body. That our mother and fatherare not their bodies. They are minds. It is thiscitta that comes and believes that this bodyis our self.If we have this understanding, thenwhen others around us die, we won’t end upfeeling sad or depressed to any degree, sincewe understand that there isn’t one who dies.This body is comparable to a leaf on atree in the forest. Are we going to cry andweep when that leaf on the tree has died?Having died, what does a leaf go on tobecome? Just leaving it in the forest, it startsto break down and become soil. The waterevaporates, the fire element disperses. There52 The Travelin’ Man The Travelin’ Man 52

to die alike. Some are dying slowly, some aredying quickly, some are dying earlier, someare dying later - it differs just in this.But about dying, there isn’t anything tobe scared of if we can understand that weare not this body. That our mother and fatherare not their bodies. They are minds. It is thiscitta that comes and believes that this bodyis our self.If we have this understanding, thenwhen others around us die, we won’t end upfeeling sad or depressed to any degree, sincewe understand that there isn’t one who dies.This body is comparable to a leaf on atree in the forest. Are we going to cry andweep when that leaf on the tree has died?Having died, what does a leaf go on tobecome? Just leaving it in the forest, it startsto break down and become soil. The waterevaporates, the fire element disperses. ThereThe Travelin’ Man 52isn’t much to it. It is just the coming togetherand separation of the four elements.PhraPhra Ajahn Suchart Abhij Ajahn Suchart Abhijātāoto 5533

IN TRUTH, DYING IS JUST LIKE GOING INFOR SURGERYIt is like undergoing a full-body transplant.Whenever we are unwell, our lungs orkidneys have issues, we can go in andchange them. They just give us someanesthesia and put us to sleep. Then theycan operate on us and change out our liveror kidney. When we open our eyes, we thinkto ourselves, “Oh, so this is how it is, now Ihave a new heart, now I have a new kidney.”So it is the case for going in to change outthis whole body made of the thirty-two parts.54 The Travelin’ Man The Travelin’ Man 54

IN TRUTH, DYING IS JUST LIKE GOING INFOR SURGERYIt is like undergoing a full-body transplant.Whenever we are unwell, our lungs orkidneys have issues, we can go in andchange them. They just give us someanesthesia and put us to sleep. Then theycan operate on us and change out our liveror kidney. When we open our eyes, we thinkto ourselves, “Oh, so this is how it is, now Ihave a new heart, now I have a new kidney.”So it is the case for going in to change outthis whole body made of the thirty-two parts.The Travelin’ Man 54So, in coming to be born, it is just likethis. It’s like going in for surgery andchanging out this whole body made of thethirty-two parts. We receive a new body thatis possessed with vitality and strength. Thelaw of karma has a sedative effect thatmakes us go to sleep. Then, having woken up,we see that we have acquired a new body. Aslong as we can view the world in this way, wereally don’t have anything to be afraid of.When we are sick, we just go to sleep andwake up in a new body. It's something to beglad about. If we can think in this way, thenour experience of life will have a lot morehappiness than fear.There isn’t anything scary about it; it isjust sleeping. There is nothing to fear aboutdeath. What we really should be afraid of isdoing evil. For having done evil, we are goingto have nightmares; being asleep, we willPhraPhra Ajahn Suchart Abhij Ajahn Suchart Abhijātāoto 5555

have nightmares, while awake, we will havenightmares, just shutting our eyes, we willhave nightmares. We only meet bad things inlife because we have done evil. Wouldn’t yousay so?It is like being imprisoned, or likehaving our creditors or some other personconstantly chasing us down.“while we are sleeping,while we are awake,as well as when we die.”Therefore, the scary thing isn’t dying.This whole dying business is not frightening. Itis something to be glad about, as we get tochange our bodies for a new one.When this body is no longer good, youcan just go ahead and let it die. Just don’t killit—only that. It goes against the rules to56 The Travelin’ Man The Travelin’ Man 56

have nightmares, while awake, we will havenightmares, just shutting our eyes, we willhave nightmares. We only meet bad things inlife because we have done evil. Wouldn’t yousay so?It is like being imprisoned, or likehaving our creditors or some other personconstantly chasing us down.“while we are sleeping,while we are awake,as well as when we die.”Therefore, the scary thing isn’t dying.This whole dying business is not frightening. Itis something to be glad about, as we get tochange our bodies for a new one.When this body is no longer good, youcan just go ahead and let it die. Just don’t killit—only that. It goes against the rules toThe Travelin’ Man 56destroy it. If you kill it, you are just going tohave nightmares. There is so much more lossthan benefit in killing it. Don’t go on thinkingthat, “In this life I am not beautiful, it is betterif I just die so that in the next life I can get anew body.”If you kill yourself, if you do evil deeds,then when you come back, you are just goingto be uglier than you originally were. If youwant to come back and be more beautifulthan you currently are, then you need toperform meritorious deeds and let your bodydie due to natural causes in its own time. Justdon’t go on to kill it.PhraPhra Ajahn Suchart Abhij Ajahn Suchart Abhijātāoto 5577

HAVING GONE TO A FUNERAL THEOTHER DAYThat monk gave a good talk. Attending afuneral is a way to encounter somethingauthentic. Going to other places, we don’t getto meet with what is real.That is, we get to see that this body ofours, this life of ours, ultimately has to be justlike that of the person regarding whom wehave gone to express our condolences. Andin turn, coming back from the funeral, we aregoing to have death on our minds constantly.It is uncertain that we don’t know when it isPhraPhra Ajahn Suchart Abhij Ajahn Suchart Abhijātāoto 5599

going to come up for us, or for the peoplethat we love.Those that we love might still behealthy; they might still have not entered intoold age, but don’t go thinking that somethingmight not happen to them today ortomorrow. It can happen to anybody.We have to keep thinking like this sothat we will rush to do our homework; byhaving completed it, we will be ready. Anyday, the test may come; we are ready andcan take it immediately. So, why do weapproach things so carelessly?Why do we go about thinking, “Let mejust wait a little longer, it still isn’t necessaryto do my homework. Just let me travelaround and play about first.” Then, out of theblue, someone comes and announces thattoday is test day. But then it is already toolate.60 The Travelin’ Man The Travelin’ Man 60

going to come up for us, or for the peoplethat we love.Those that we love might still behealthy; they might still have not entered intoold age, but don’t go thinking that somethingmight not happen to them today ortomorrow. It can happen to anybody.We have to keep thinking like this sothat we will rush to do our homework; byhaving completed it, we will be ready. Anyday, the test may come; we are ready andcan take it immediately. So, why do weapproach things so carelessly?Why do we go about thinking, “Let mejust wait a little longer, it still isn’t necessaryto do my homework. Just let me travelaround and play about first.” Then, out of theblue, someone comes and announces thattoday is test day. But then it is already toolate.The Travelin’ Man 60When we were growing up, we hadexcellent teachers. Sometimes, the teacherswould have us take tests without priorannouncement. We just walked into theclassroom, and the teacher informed us. Wewould think to ourselves, “Oh! What! Today istest day!?” So that’s how it was for us. Beinglike this, the students ultimately avoidednegligence. Every day, they did theirhomework, took practice tests, and reviewedtheir books.Life is just like this. There isn’t any dateon the calendar set as the test date. It’s notthe same as it is at school. Schools still havethe end of the term in March as the date forfinals.But here, you know, we don’t have anytest dates on the calendar. Whenever thedate arrives, we must be able to pass it withease—there is no prior notice. If we can passPhraPhra Ajahn Suchart Abhij Ajahn Suchart Abhijātāoto 6611

it with ease, it is called vūpasamo sukkho,unsurpassed bliss; but being unable to pass it,we are going to know that which is calledvūpasamo dukkho, unsurpassed suffering.Having to come back and be reborn is goingto bring much misery and tears.62 The Travelin’ Man The Travelin’ Man 62

it with ease, it is called vūpasamo sukkho,unsurpassed bliss; but being unable to pass it,we are going to know that which is calledvūpasamo dukkho, unsurpassed suffering.Having to come back and be reborn is goingto bring much misery and tears.The Travelin’ Man 62WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF COMINGACROSS THE BUDDHA, THE DHAMMA, ANDTHE SANGHA?What is good is that we will be able to get outof the cycle of transmigration. It is really apity if we cannot come across the Buddha,Dhamma, and Sangha, since we are justgoing to be held here in this vicious cyclewithout end.Coming back to be reborn, we domeritorious as well as evil actions. Then,having died, we go on to receive the result ofour merit or the result of our evil. It is up togood and bad karma, whichever is more. If itPhraPhra Ajahn Suchart Abhij Ajahn Suchart Abhijātāoto 6633

comes down to it that both merit and evil arethe same, then we come back to be bornhuman again, coming back to do both meritand evil again.For how many untold millions of timeshave we been going on like this? It willcontinue like this, as it has become a habit,ingrained in our nature. Just continuouslycoming back and being born. There is notelling how many times we have done this.In being able to meet with the Buddha,the Dhamma, the Sangha, or even just onemonk, we will have the opportunity to receivethe teachings and directions of the Buddha,the one who knows how to get out of thisvicious cycle.The Buddha understands what must bedone so that we won't have to come backand be born again, being born and going onto do a mix of good and evil, then dying and64 The Travelin’ Man The Travelin’ Man 64

comes down to it that both merit and evil arethe same, then we come back to be bornhuman again, coming back to do both meritand evil again.For how many untold millions of timeshave we been going on like this? It willcontinue like this, as it has become a habit,ingrained in our nature. Just continuouslycoming back and being born. There is notelling how many times we have done this.In being able to meet with the Buddha,the Dhamma, the Sangha, or even just onemonk, we will have the opportunity to receivethe teachings and directions of the Buddha,the one who knows how to get out of thisvicious cycle.The Buddha understands what must bedone so that we won't have to come backand be born again, being born and going onto do a mix of good and evil, then dying andThe Travelin’ Man 64going on to receive the results of thatkamma. Apart from the Buddha, theDhamma, and the Sangha, there really isn’tanyone who understands the method forgetting out of this sinister cycle.The cause for this is owed to theBuddha, who had a need to get out of thissinister cycle and who took it upon himself tosearch for the way out, becoming the firstperson to do so.It is just like a prisoner who is trying tofind a way to escape from prison. He justkeeps on walking along, going untileventually he finds a gap in the stones of theprison walls. Having come to know about thisgap, he goes back to tell his friends,”Hey! Whichever one of you wants toget out, just come along this way, downalong this path; there is a gap in the wallconcealed behind some shrubbery. If we canPhraPhra Ajahn Suchart Abhij Ajahn Suchart Abhijātāoto 6655

crawl underneath the bushes and push up tothe wall, we should be able to escape, finally.”So this is the nature of “The Buddha,The Dhamma and the Sangha.” The Buddhais the one who knows the way out of thissinister cycle of continually coming to beborn, aging, and dying. It really takessomeone as intelligent as the Buddha to beable to come across the way out of thiswhole mass of suffering that arises onaccount of this birth, aging, sickness, anddeath, of continually being born and dying.Being able to come across the Buddha,Dhamma, and Sangha means that we aregoing to come across the teachings anddirections of the Buddha, which instruct us todo good and avoid evil, to refine our heartsuntil they have become pure.66 The Travelin’ Man The Travelin’ Man 66

crawl underneath the bushes and push up tothe wall, we should be able to escape, finally.”So this is the nature of “The Buddha,The Dhamma and the Sangha.” The Buddhais the one who knows the way out of thissinister cycle of continually coming to beborn, aging, and dying. It really takessomeone as intelligent as the Buddha to beable to come across the way out of thiswhole mass of suffering that arises onaccount of this birth, aging, sickness, anddeath, of continually being born and dying.Being able to come across the Buddha,Dhamma, and Sangha means that we aregoing to come across the teachings anddirections of the Buddha, which instruct us todo good and avoid evil, to refine our heartsuntil they have become pure.The Travelin’ Man 66So this is the channel of escape amidthe prison walls that have us locked in. Inescaping, we will have to employ this methodof doing good and avoiding evil, of takingcare of our heart, purifying it until it becomesthe cause for us to slip out of the cycle ofbirth and death.It is always going to be good if we canmeet with the Buddha himself, since we willget to hear the Dhamma that we have neverheard before. There really is nothing betterthan this, as he will be able to explain all ofthe subtle points to us and clarify anyquestions that we might have.After that, the next best thing is tocome across the Savaka Arahants of theBuddha, who have studied and come torealize for themselves the path that leads usout of this cycle of continually being bornand dying.PhraPhra Ajahn Suchart Abhij Ajahn Suchart Abhijātāoto 6677

If we can come across the Sangha ofvenerable ones, no matter if they areSotāpanna, Sakadāgāmī, Anāgāmī, orArahants, whichever they might be, it is good.That venerable one will know how to get outof this prison of repeatedly being born anddying.The only difference between them istheir depth of understanding. The first levelof understanding is that of the Sotāpanna,followed by the Sakadāgāmī, Anāgāmī, andthe Arahant. Arahants are those who knowhow to fully break out of this prison ofcontinually cycling around in birth and death.We, too, can get out, it’s just a matter ofwhether it will happen quickly or slowly. We’llhave to take it step by step, first starting withthe stage of Sotāpanna, then progressing onto the stages of Sakadāgāmī, Anāgāmī, andthen finally Arahant.68 The Travelin’ Man The Travelin’ Man 68

If we can come across the Sangha ofvenerable ones, no matter if they areSotāpanna, Sakadāgāmī, Anāgāmī, orArahants, whichever they might be, it is good.That venerable one will know how to get outof this prison of repeatedly being born anddying.The only difference between them istheir depth of understanding. The first levelof understanding is that of the Sotāpanna,followed by the Sakadāgāmī, Anāgāmī, andthe Arahant. Arahants are those who knowhow to fully break out of this prison ofcontinually cycling around in birth and death.We, too, can get out, it’s just a matter ofwhether it will happen quickly or slowly. We’llhave to take it step by step, first starting withthe stage of Sotāpanna, then progressing onto the stages of Sakadāgāmī, Anāgāmī, andthen finally Arahant.The Travelin’ Man 68

ONE WITH THE INTELLIGENCE OF ABUDDHA WOULD SAY…“Just go ahead and shave off all your hair.Hair isn’t something that has any benefit forthe mind. The only benefit it serves is as aninstrument in adorning this body to make itlook good.”So there is this saying, “Animals havebeauty due to their coats, humans havebeauty due to their dress.” Think about it.Suppose that we weren’t to straighten ourhair or dress it up in any way. Doesn’t it lookquite repulsive and scary? And then on top ofthat, we have to deal with hair that is greying70 The Travelin’ Man The Travelin’ Man 70

ONE WITH THE INTELLIGENCE OF ABUDDHA WOULD SAY…“Just go ahead and shave off all your hair.Hair isn’t something that has any benefit forthe mind. The only benefit it serves is as aninstrument in adorning this body to make itlook good.”So there is this saying, “Animals havebeauty due to their coats, humans havebeauty due to their dress.” Think about it.Suppose that we weren’t to straighten ourhair or dress it up in any way. Doesn’t it lookquite repulsive and scary? And then on top ofthat, we have to deal with hair that is greyingThe Travelin’ Man 70and turning white—just adding to itsunattractiveness.Ultimately, we spend a significantamount of time and money maintaining ourhair, and in doing so, we get exposed to toxicchemicals. Dyeing our hair causes thosechemicals to enter our bodies and thus is acause that would put us at risk of cancer.So, having escaped one type ofdissatisfaction, we come right up againstsuffering in another form. There is a saying,“Having just escaped a tiger, one comes rightup against a crocodile.” We can get awayfrom the signs of being old, just to come rightinto illness.Dying our hair as a means of gettingaway from a greying head of hair, only tohave cancer come in its place: does thissound like a fair trade to you? It’s better ifyou just don’t try to escape from old age. TryPhraPhra Ajahn Suchart Abhij Ajahn Suchart Abhijātāoto 7711

to take my word for it. Don’t try to run awayfrom the truth, but rather try to accept thetrue nature of things. Being able to receivethe reality of things, our hearts are not goingto suffer. They’ll be at ease.So what do we need to do to accept thetrue nature of things? It is just this: when weknow that the heart is being unaccepting ofthe truth, we have to put a stop to this. Wehave to stop the heart’s obstinacy. But inreality, it is not the heart that is the obstinateone, but rather it is the kilesas. The citta ismerely the one that knows. The citta canfollow after craving, or it can go along withDhamma.The citta has the capacity to followalong with Dhamma, but right now it is as if itwere the younger sibling of the kilesa ofcraving to which it is subordinate, by which itis getting ordered around. At times, the heart72 The Travelin’ Man The Travelin’ Man 72

to take my word for it. Don’t try to run awayfrom the truth, but rather try to accept thetrue nature of things. Being able to receivethe reality of things, our hearts are not goingto suffer. They’ll be at ease.So what do we need to do to accept thetrue nature of things? It is just this: when weknow that the heart is being unaccepting ofthe truth, we have to put a stop to this. Wehave to stop the heart’s obstinacy. But inreality, it is not the heart that is the obstinateone, but rather it is the kilesas. The citta ismerely the one that knows. The citta canfollow after craving, or it can go along withDhamma.The citta has the capacity to followalong with Dhamma, but right now it is as if itwere the younger sibling of the kilesa ofcraving to which it is subordinate, by which itis getting ordered around. At times, the heartThe Travelin’ Man 72genuinely wants to follow the Dhamma but issimply unable. Sometimes, having just goneto listen to a Dhamma teaching, we areresolved to follow along with what wasexplained to us, but simply cannot.The inability to do so is due to the kilesaof craving holding us back and preventing usfrom following the Dhamma. The kilesa ofcraving needs us to go along in its direction.It is the Dhamma that tells us that whenwe are old, we can just let this body go alongaccording to the nature of old age. If the hairbecomes grey, we can just let it be. If itbecomes too much of a responsibility, wecan shave it and do away with the wholething.It doesn’t really have any benefit for thecitta. If we were going to compare the stateof the citta with and without hair, the citta isgoing to be less stressed without hair. ByPhraPhra Ajahn Suchart Abhij Ajahn Suchart Abhijātāoto 7733

having hair, we also take on a significantamount of responsibility in maintaining it,including tasks such as combing,straightening, or whatever else it may entail.And what about when we start to getdandruff? Well, if we don’t have any hair,then this whole problem just goes away.Actually, we won’t have any issues pertainingto our hair. All in all, the best way to solve theissues regarding hair is just to shave yourhead and do away with it. This way is themost straightforward. We don’t need towaste any time or money, or, moreimportantly, experience dukkha when thehair is in an unsightly state.It is just this Dhamma that we cannotfollow along with, because the kilesa ofcraving is constantly holding us back. Beingable to follow along with the Dhamma, withthe truth, we are going to have to put a stop74 The Travelin’ Man The Travelin’ Man 74

having hair, we also take on a significantamount of responsibility in maintaining it,including tasks such as combing,straightening, or whatever else it may entail.And what about when we start to getdandruff? Well, if we don’t have any hair,then this whole problem just goes away.Actually, we won’t have any issues pertainingto our hair. All in all, the best way to solve theissues regarding hair is just to shave yourhead and do away with it. This way is themost straightforward. We don’t need towaste any time or money, or, moreimportantly, experience dukkha when thehair is in an unsightly state.It is just this Dhamma that we cannotfollow along with, because the kilesa ofcraving is constantly holding us back. Beingable to follow along with the Dhamma, withthe truth, we are going to have to put a stopThe Travelin’ Man 74to the kilesa of craving. If we are unable toput a stop to the kilesa of craving, then wewill not make any progress with theDhamma. Coming to practice, sati is themeans by which we are going to be able toput a stop to the kilesa of craving. It isthrough practicing and cultivatingmindfulness that one can stop this kilesa.Then, once stopped, we will be able to followalong with the instructions of the Buddha.The Buddha teaches that when thisbody has become old, we ought just to let itgo with the flow of aging; when it becomesafflicted with pain, just let it go with the flowof being in pain. When it needs to die, just letit go and die.One way or another – whether we canlet it go or not – the body has to grow old,get sick, and die either way. If we can put itdown, the heart will be at ease, calm. RatherPhraPhra Ajahn Suchart Abhij Ajahn Suchart Abhijātāoto 7755

than being inflicted with suffering, we aregoing to have joy and peace in our hearts.There will be happiness in the midst of thebody undergoing hardship. In whatever waythe body might become elderly, become sick,or by whichever way the body is going to die,the heart is not going to become upset andanxious over these things. However, this alldepends on being able to calm our heartsand put an end to the kilesa of craving.76 The Travelin’ Man The Travelin’ Man 76

than being inflicted with suffering, we aregoing to have joy and peace in our hearts.There will be happiness in the midst of thebody undergoing hardship. In whatever waythe body might become elderly, become sick,or by whichever way the body is going to die,the heart is not going to become upset andanxious over these things. However, this alldepends on being able to calm our heartsand put an end to the kilesa of craving.The Travelin’ Man 76IN DEVELOPING OUR CITTA WE GO TO THELEVEL OF NOBLE PERSONSIn reaching the end of suffering and at everystage of the path, we must understand that ifwe are reading and listening to the Dhammayet still not grasping what we are hearing,this is due to a lack of sati. Mindfulness issomething that we should develop.While listening to the Dhamma, you canpractice just attentively listening. Don’t getcaught up if, in the beginning, you still can’tfollow along with the meaning of what isbeing taught; at the very least, you havesomething to place your mind on so thatPhraPhra Ajahn Suchart Abhij Ajahn Suchart Abhijātāoto 7777

your thoughts don’t go wandering. Just staywith the sound of the Dhamma talk that youare listening to.Our capacity to understand depends onthe degree of paññā (wisdom) that we have,so there will be some things that you knowand some things that you won’t. However, ifthere is something you don’t understand, justkeep listening to the Dhamma, and sooner orlater, you will come to understand. You’llprogressively understand deeper aspects ofthe Dhamma.When you don’t understand something,don’t be afraid to ask. Just go ahead and asksomeone who knows the Dhamma. It is goingto be up to him as to how he is going toanswer, whether he is going to go ahead andexplain. Some questions are better leftunanswered, as they pertain to things wedon’t necessarily need to know.78 The Travelin’ Man The Travelin’ Man 78

your thoughts don’t go wandering. Just staywith the sound of the Dhamma talk that youare listening to.Our capacity to understand depends onthe degree of paññā (wisdom) that we have,so there will be some things that you knowand some things that you won’t. However, ifthere is something you don’t understand, justkeep listening to the Dhamma, and sooner orlater, you will come to understand. You’llprogressively understand deeper aspects ofthe Dhamma.When you don’t understand something,don’t be afraid to ask. Just go ahead and asksomeone who knows the Dhamma. It is goingto be up to him as to how he is going toanswer, whether he is going to go ahead andexplain. Some questions are better leftunanswered, as they pertain to things wedon’t necessarily need to know.The Travelin’ Man 78We can divide knowledge into twokinds: knowledge about those things whichwe should know, and knowledge about thingswhich are not necessary to know. Elaboratingon this knowledge of things which we don’tneed to know—ajjintiya in Pali—we can saythat we can categorize them into four types.The first pertains to this world,wondering how long it has been since it wascreated. The second is about the future ofthis world, wondering what it is going to belike. These kinds of things are subjects thatare not necessary to know. The first is whena person begins to wonder what this worldwas made from, whether there is a creator,or if there is no creator.The second class of ajjintiya is thinkingabout the future of the world, wondering justhow it may be in the time to come. These arethings that have no relevance for us; there isPhraPhra Ajahn Suchart Abhij Ajahn Suchart Abhijātāoto 7799

no need for us to know about these things,wondering if the world has a creator or if it iswithout one. The world is just the way it is;there is no need to go on wondering aboutthese things. You don’t need to have aninterest in these things.Ajjintiya also includes speculatingabout the abilities of the Buddha, trying tofigure out just how great his might is. Theseare things that are beyond the domain ofordinary people. It is better not to try tounderstand them.But as for those things which we shouldknow, it is asking, “What is the cause ofdukkha, and just how does one go abouteliminating it?” Just having an understandingof this is enough. There is no need to getwrapped up in understanding anything else.It is similar to a story that the Buddhahad told about a person who gets shot by an80 The Travelin’ Man The Travelin’ Man 80

no need for us to know about these things,wondering if the world has a creator or if it iswithout one. The world is just the way it is;there is no need to go on wondering aboutthese things. You don’t need to have aninterest in these things.Ajjintiya also includes speculatingabout the abilities of the Buddha, trying tofigure out just how great his might is. Theseare things that are beyond the domain ofordinary people. It is better not to try tounderstand them.But as for those things which we shouldknow, it is asking, “What is the cause ofdukkha, and just how does one go abouteliminating it?” Just having an understandingof this is enough. There is no need to getwrapped up in understanding anything else.It is similar to a story that the Buddhahad told about a person who gets shot by anThe Travelin’ Man 80arrow: The injured person, having gottensomeone to come and help him, starts tosay, “Hold on, hold on, first of all, I want toknow who it was that shot me. Can you goand inquire into this first? What is their caste?Are they a man or a woman? Are they of theBrahmin caste? And what about this arrow?What type of wood is it? And the arrowhead,what type of metal is it? The fletchings—fromwhat kind of bird did the feathers comefrom?”If we tend to these questions beforeattending to our wound, we are just going toend up dying. It is going to be much better ifwe tend to our wound first, to have someonecome and help remove the arrow and applyany medicine on hand.What we should really be focusing on is,“how should this wound be addressed so thatit won’t be an issue?” The Buddha goes on todescribe that “the first thing to do is toPhraPhra Ajahn Suchart Abhij Ajahn Suchart Abhijātāoto 8811

extract the arrow, then to stop the bleeding.Having accomplished this, we need to applysome medicine. If we can do this, then in nolong time our wound is going to make arecovery.”There is no importance in knowing whoit is that shot us. What we know is just this:that we are undergoing an injury from anarrow. As for what we don’t know, it isn’trelevant—but not tending to our wound isgoing to cause us to die.I will tell you about how some people,by placing a lot of emphasis on learning,come to be vastly learned, then, on accountof their knowledge, come to think ofthemselves as accomplished. They’vereached the point where they know so muchthat no benefit can come from what theyknow.82 The Travelin’ Man The Travelin’ Man 82

extract the arrow, then to stop the bleeding.Having accomplished this, we need to applysome medicine. If we can do this, then in nolong time our wound is going to make arecovery.”There is no importance in knowing whoit is that shot us. What we know is just this:that we are undergoing an injury from anarrow. As for what we don’t know, it isn’trelevant—but not tending to our wound isgoing to cause us to die.I will tell you about how some people,by placing a lot of emphasis on learning,come to be vastly learned, then, on accountof their knowledge, come to think ofthemselves as accomplished. They’vereached the point where they know so muchthat no benefit can come from what theyknow.The Travelin’ Man 82It can be better just to have a narrowscope of knowledge, understanding just inthat which is necessary – dukkha. Being ableto comprehend the cause and origin ofdukkha, and being able to grasp how toexpel dukkha from your heart until none isremaining. Just understanding this is enough.For it is solely this dukkha whichtroubles the heart. As for the hardships of thebody, this is something which we shouldalready know, that the body undergoeshardship on account of being lacking in thefour requisites of life. Yet when the body isprovided with these four supplements of life,then its hardship likewise disappears.On that account, the four requisites aresomething which we all must know how toacquire and possess—knowing how toprovide for this body food, clothing, medicine,and a place to rest. The dukkha of the bodyPhraPhra Ajahn Suchart Abhij Ajahn Suchart Abhijātāoto 8833

really isn’t that complicated. The one thatreally pesters us is the dukkha of the heart.At present, we still do not understandthe origin of suffering; we have yet tocomprehend what exactly it is that causes usto suffer. Just why is it that we need to havea problem with the aging and sickness of thebody? Why is it that we need to feel miseryaround dying, with parting from those peopleand things that we love?Understanding just this is enough. If wecan grasp the cause of suffering, then weshould be able to eliminate it. In turn, therewon’t be any more suffering to follow.It is just a matter of cause and effect.The reason is the one that creates all theissues. Cause and effect are the wholepremise of the Buddha’s teachings.The teachings of the Buddha are quiteextensive, reaching 84,000 distinct suttas. Yet84 The Travelin’ Man The Travelin’ Man 84

really isn’t that complicated. The one thatreally pesters us is the dukkha of the heart.At present, we still do not understandthe origin of suffering; we have yet tocomprehend what exactly it is that causes usto suffer. Just why is it that we need to havea problem with the aging and sickness of thebody? Why is it that we need to feel miseryaround dying, with parting from those peopleand things that we love?Understanding just this is enough. If wecan grasp the cause of suffering, then weshould be able to eliminate it. In turn, therewon’t be any more suffering to follow.It is just a matter of cause and effect.The reason is the one that creates all theissues. Cause and effect are the wholepremise of the Buddha’s teachings.The teachings of the Buddha are quiteextensive, reaching 84,000 distinct suttas. YetThe Travelin’ Man 84every sutta in itself solely teaches this matterof “suffering, the origin of suffering, theextinction of suffering, and just how weshould go about eliminating it so that it iscompletely removed from our heart.”There is only this: the Buddha did notteach anything else beyond this. Even thoughthe Buddha had extensive knowledge, hedidn’t see that knowing those things would beof any benefit to his audience.It is similar to how, on one occasion, theBuddha took up a handful of leaves in hishand and asked the monks, “What do youthink, monks? When comparing the leaves inmy hand with the leaves in the forest, whichone is greater?””The leaves in the forest must begreater than the few leaves in your hand, sir,”the monks replied. The Buddha went on toexplain that, “therefore, this knowledge thatPhraPhra Ajahn Suchart Abhij Ajahn Suchart Abhijātāoto 8855

we have is similar to the leaves in the forest.The things that we know are extensive, butthey are not of any benefit to us.” TheBuddha continued, “but these things justaren’t going to have any benefit in being ableto solve the problem that you have.”Of all of the fields of knowledge, theBuddha is highly learned—but as far aseliminating the suffering of the heart isconcerned, none of these things can bringabout a solution. On this account, the Buddhawas rarely inclined to teach on subjects thatweren't to the heart of the matter; he didn’tteach about how this world came into beingor about how much longer it would bearound. He just didn’t teach about thesethings.The Buddha taught only about puttingan end to suffering and the means to achievethis. He taught about going to the source of86 The Travelin’ Man The Travelin’ Man 86

we have is similar to the leaves in the forest.The things that we know are extensive, butthey are not of any benefit to us.” TheBuddha continued, “but these things justaren’t going to have any benefit in being ableto solve the problem that you have.”Of all of the fields of knowledge, theBuddha is highly learned—but as far aseliminating the suffering of the heart isconcerned, none of these things can bringabout a solution. On this account, the Buddhawas rarely inclined to teach on subjects thatweren't to the heart of the matter; he didn’tteach about how this world came into beingor about how much longer it would bearound. He just didn’t teach about thesethings.The Buddha taught only about puttingan end to suffering and the means to achievethis. He taught about going to the source ofThe Travelin’ Man 86suffering and eliminating it there. Heillustrated the source of suffering. To knowthe source of suffering and eliminate it atthat point means it ends up disappearing forgood.PhraPhra Ajahn Suchart Abhij Ajahn Suchart Abhijātāoto 8877

PRACTICING A “KAMMATHAN” IS HOW WEARE GOING TO PUT AN END TO THE KILESAOF CRAVINGWe must have a kammathan, a mentalobject that we use to calm our mind anddispel desires from it. Being able to dispel ourgreed and anger all depends on having one.For instance, say that we take on thecontemplating of the body in terms ofdeath—maraṇasati—then continuing, we aregoing to get to the point where weunderstand that death is something whichreally cannot be avoided, that there isn’t anyway to escape from death.88 The Travelin’ Man The Travelin’ Man 88

PRACTICING A “KAMMATHAN” IS HOW WEARE GOING TO PUT AN END TO THE KILESAOF CRAVINGWe must have a kammathan, a mentalobject that we use to calm our mind anddispel desires from it. Being able to dispel ourgreed and anger all depends on having one.For instance, say that we take on thecontemplating of the body in terms ofdeath—maraṇasati—then continuing, we aregoing to get to the point where weunderstand that death is something whichreally cannot be avoided, that there isn’t anyway to escape from death.The Travelin’ Man 88If we don’t want to suffer with thisprocess of dying, then we are going to haveto put down our attachment to the body. It isthrough just this development of theMindfulness of Death that we are going tocome to understand that attachment to thebody is what causes us to undergo dukkha.Ultimately, the body and the mind have toundergo separation—death—and when thishappens, the heart really undergoes a lot ofstress. The heart is stressed because it stillloves and worries about this body. But if wehave been able to develop this Mindfulnessof Death consistently, then we are going toknow the method of making our heart calm.When the time of death comes, the heart isgoing to be able to be indifferent. It’ll be ableto have equanimity.This practice of mindfulness of death isgoing to be particularly helpful during thosePhraPhra Ajahn Suchart Abhij Ajahn Suchart Abhijātāoto 8899

times when the mind has become distractedor when kilesas have become quite out ofhand. Sometimes the kilesas think that theyare so grand, that they’re hot stuff—when it’slike this, just try to see what happens whenyou practice mindfulness of death. Thataudacity of the kilesas is going to drop away.The kilesas like to think of themselvesas so great, thinking that things are going tobe like this, that they are going to live for along time. But just by contemplating death,you’ll come to understand that life reallydoesn’t have us staying around for a longtime. That no matter the degree to which wehave excellence in ourselves or in our lives, inthe end, we still have to die.Seeing this is going to help reduce thedegree to which you are deluded by theconcept of self.90 The Travelin’ Man The Travelin’ Man 90

times when the mind has become distractedor when kilesas have become quite out ofhand. Sometimes the kilesas think that theyare so grand, that they’re hot stuff—when it’slike this, just try to see what happens whenyou practice mindfulness of death. Thataudacity of the kilesas is going to drop away.The kilesas like to think of themselvesas so great, thinking that things are going tobe like this, that they are going to live for along time. But just by contemplating death,you’ll come to understand that life reallydoesn’t have us staying around for a longtime. That no matter the degree to which wehave excellence in ourselves or in our lives, inthe end, we still have to die.Seeing this is going to help reduce thedegree to which you are deluded by theconcept of self.The Travelin’ Man 90Being able to practice mindfulness ofdeath continuously is something that willcause us to become increasingly diligent. Attimes, we may lack motivation and feeldiscouraged with the practice. Thecontemplation of death is often enough tocause that lack of motivation to go away;enough to cause our spirits to rise back upagain.You have to be able to reconcile withyourself, “if I am idle and don’t have a senseof urgency in practicing the Dhamma, thensooner or later death is going to come.Having died, this opportunity ceases. But stillbeing alive, this opportunity persists. Thisopportunity to attain liberation lies entirely instill being possessed of life.”By recollecting death, any boredom orsense of being disenheartened with thepractice is going to go away. We must get aPhraPhra Ajahn Suchart Abhij Ajahn Suchart Abhijātāoto 9911

move on. We need to cultivate a sense ofurgency in practicing the Dhamma, for oncedeath comes, the time for practice is over. Ifwe die without having reached the cusp ofthe Dhamma—still having not attained to theDhamma—then we are just going to have tocome back to be reborn and start anewcontinuously.In this ordeal of coming back to bereborn again, there is a real possibility thatwe will be born in an era when there is noBuddhism in the world to be able to teachand guide us. With no Buddha, Dhamma, andSangha to give us encouragement andsound advice on the path, our Dhammapractice isn’t really going to make anyprogress. We are reborn because we don’tunderstand the correct way of practice.As a result, we remain stuck in the cycleof continually being born and dying for a92 The Travelin’ Man The Travelin’ Man 92

move on. We need to cultivate a sense ofurgency in practicing the Dhamma, for oncedeath comes, the time for practice is over. Ifwe die without having reached the cusp ofthe Dhamma—still having not attained to theDhamma—then we are just going to have tocome back to be reborn and start anewcontinuously.In this ordeal of coming back to bereborn again, there is a real possibility thatwe will be born in an era when there is noBuddhism in the world to be able to teachand guide us. With no Buddha, Dhamma, andSangha to give us encouragement andsound advice on the path, our Dhammapractice isn’t really going to make anyprogress. We are reborn because we don’tunderstand the correct way of practice.As a result, we remain stuck in the cycleof continually being born and dying for aThe Travelin’ Man 92long time. So it is really better if we hurry upto come and practice the Dhamma, whetherwe can practice a lot or practice a little. Justgo for it. Don’t give up.PhraPhra Ajahn Suchart Abhij Ajahn Suchart Abhijātāoto 9933

THAT WHICH WE ARE FROM DAY TO DAY ISJUST THE RESULT OF OUR ACTIONSPREVIOUSLY DONEIf we don’t like how things are, then we shouldput an end to their cause. Without beingborn, there will subsequently be no old age,no sickness, and no death. But with birth, thenin turn, we are going to have to experienceold age, illness, and death.Even the Buddha and the Arahantswere not exempt from becoming old,becoming sick, and dying. We have to usewisdom to contemplate this matter until wecan gain some degree of intelligence and94 The Travelin’ Man The Travelin’ Man 94

THAT WHICH WE ARE FROM DAY TO DAY ISJUST THE RESULT OF OUR ACTIONSPREVIOUSLY DONEIf we don’t like how things are, then we shouldput an end to their cause. Without beingborn, there will subsequently be no old age,no sickness, and no death. But with birth, thenin turn, we are going to have to experienceold age, illness, and death.Even the Buddha and the Arahantswere not exempt from becoming old,becoming sick, and dying. We have to usewisdom to contemplate this matter until wecan gain some degree of intelligence andThe Travelin’ Man 94understanding, and thus some degree ofbenefit. As far as I’ve seen, we don’t reallyuse wisdom all that much. For the most part,we just go about using ignorance andcraving, go about using desire—the desire tobe and the desire not to be. We want to havevarious things, and we want to be this or that.We want to be able to live for a long time aswell as to recover from any illness that wemight have.This process is known as dependentorigination, which is the cause of dukkha. Thefirst factor in this process is ignorance, ordelusion. From this ignorance come mentalformations. Mental formations, in turn, go onto develop consciousness. This entire processof dependent origination continues in thismanner until it reaches the factor of greed.Consider dependent origination foryourself. Try to see how from ignorancePhraPhra Ajahn Suchart Abhij Ajahn Suchart Abhijātāoto 9955

comes mental formations —mentalruminations. Then, continuing, there isconsciousness, then name and form.Continuing, there are the six sense bases.For the most part, our thoughts justcome from avijjā, from ignorance anddelusion. If our thoughts are to come from aplace of wisdom and Dhamma, we must beable to fathom the three characteristics ofimpermanence, non-self, and suffering. Wemust come to understand that being born,growing old, falling ill, and dying are just anatural part of life.Regarding sicknesses, with some types,recovery is possible, but with others, there isno improvement. We can categorizesicknesses into three types. The first is a typeof illness that will resolve without any needfor intervention. Then there is the type of96 The Travelin’ Man The Travelin’ Man 96

comes mental formations —mentalruminations. Then, continuing, there isconsciousness, then name and form.Continuing, there are the six sense bases.For the most part, our thoughts justcome from avijjā, from ignorance anddelusion. If our thoughts are to come from aplace of wisdom and Dhamma, we must beable to fathom the three characteristics ofimpermanence, non-self, and suffering. Wemust come to understand that being born,growing old, falling ill, and dying are just anatural part of life.Regarding sicknesses, with some types,recovery is possible, but with others, there isno improvement. We can categorizesicknesses into three types. The first is a typeof illness that will resolve without any needfor intervention. Then there is the type ofThe Travelin’ Man 96illness that requires the use of medication tofacilitate recovery.Then there is the type of illness that nomatter what kind of medicine we consume, itis of no avail – the only thing that will cause itto go away is the wood used in cremation. Ican assure you that with this type of illness,once there is a recovery, it's not going tocome around again. Once it is gone, it is gonefor good. We won’t have to continue with thatsickness anymore.Those enduring hardship at the time oftheir death are not the only ones who suffer;those alongside them also are in agony. Butonce we have died, all of that anguishdisappears, and having been cremated,everyone gets on with their lives. They are nolonger suffering alongside the person whohas died.PhraPhra Ajahn Suchart Abhij Ajahn Suchart Abhijātāoto 9977

It was on this account that the Buddhahad taught us about the development of theperception of impermanence, which, in otherwords, is just the contemplation ofdeath—maraṇasati.Just consider that once there is birth,there will also be old age, illness, and deathto follow along, that there will be separationfrom those people and things that we love. Itis just natural. By constantly reflecting in thisway, we will come to a point where theDhamma becomes our guide, directing ourthoughts.So when we fall ill, we understand thatthere are just these three types of illness. Ifwe encounter the first two types of disease,we can continue, but if we experience thethird type, we need to bid farewell to others.Everyone must face this third kind of illness.All the teachers since the time of Loung Por98 The Travelin’ Man The Travelin’ Man 98

It was on this account that the Buddhahad taught us about the development of theperception of impermanence, which, in otherwords, is just the contemplation ofdeath—maraṇasati.Just consider that once there is birth,there will also be old age, illness, and deathto follow along, that there will be separationfrom those people and things that we love. Itis just natural. By constantly reflecting in thisway, we will come to a point where theDhamma becomes our guide, directing ourthoughts.So when we fall ill, we understand thatthere are just these three types of illness. Ifwe encounter the first two types of disease,we can continue, but if we experience thethird type, we need to bid farewell to others.Everyone must face this third kind of illness.All the teachers since the time of Loung PorThe Travelin’ Man 98Mun, whom we respect and pay homage to,have had to go in this way.You can go and read the biography ofLoung Por Mun for insight and inspiration intothe practice. But just don’t forget that whatyou’re reading needs to be taken as a lessonto continually remind your citta that we live inthe midst of uncertainty.We should accept and take these truthsup into our hearts. They will cause us to gofrom being dimwitted and of little wisdom, tobeing people who are intelligent and capableof understanding the workings of thekilesas—just how it is that they come anddeceive our hearts into creating dukkha forourselves, just how they go about comingand exploiting our hearts.Even though the citta doesn’t die alongwith the body, we still don’t understand thatcoming back to be reborn entails having toPhraPhra Ajahn Suchart Abhij Ajahn Suchart Abhijātāoto 9999