Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Welcome to the Forest Path Podcast, a podcast sharing the teachings of awakened meditation masters of the modern era.
[00:00:07] This episode is a compilation of two short teachings by Venerable Ajahn Ganha Sukakkamu. The first is called the Corruption of Life and the second is titled you are your own Refuge.
[00:00:22] Both teachings come from the book Jaidee Jai Sabai Delivery 2019.
[00:00:28] These talks were given to a mostly Thai lay audience and have been translated by Samaneri Viveka at Watpas Ubtawi Damarang.
[00:00:40] May you all benefit from hearing this gift of Dhamma by a meditation master of the Thai forest tradition.
[00:00:53] The Corruption of Life Humans are precious beings. They are born for making merit, performing wholesome deeds, and for practicing to reach the final goal of Nibbana. We have eyes, ears, a nose, a tongue, a body and a mind for having sati, mindfulness and Panya wisdom.
[00:01:17] When we listen to the Dhamma, the the Lord Buddha's teaching, it is for the arising of Sati and Panya.
[00:01:24] Once we have Panya, we have to put it into practice and renounce. To gain merit and act skillfully, all human beings have to use their existence for renunciation.
[00:01:36] We have to give importance to the Dhamma, establish ourselves in the Dhamma and make it our way of life so that our heart and mind are based on good conduct and honesty.
[00:01:48] Everyone has to be honest, of good character, and has to lead one's life by letting go of selfishness.
[00:01:56] The Lord Buddha wants us to be happy when we renounce. All of us have to renounce. If we don't, how are we going to be happy?
[00:02:06] If we are lazy, attached to happiness and comfort, not diligent and persistent, and don't take responsibility for our duties. How are we going to be happy?
[00:02:18] We have to be honest and of good character, be frugal and economical, and show gratitude towards our parents, ancestors and benefactors.
[00:02:28] For us here, the most important thing is the parents.
[00:02:32] If we don't have parents, we don't have the chance to do good and virtuous deeds. Therefore, our parents and ancestors are important.
[00:02:43] The Lord Buddha is important. He developed the Parami perfections of a Buddha for many million lifetimes and taught and instructed us to make us practice the Dhamma, give importance to it and establish ourselves in it. If we don't practice the Dhamma, our lives will be on the same level as a Paita, Mara, Yaka, Azura, beings from lower realms or animals.
[00:03:11] Humans have to make the Dhamma their principle and way of life, our Life has to go against the current of Avija ignorance, namely delusion, which is the origin of our attachment to Dhiti Mana, the conceit I am to an I and to a self.
[00:03:30] It deludes us and makes us cling to and delight in things.
[00:03:35] It causes us to delight in carelessness and makes us carry on endlessly in the cycle of birth and death.
[00:03:44] Our life has to begin in the present moment. The present is very important.
[00:03:50] It is of real and particular importance. Our future comes from the present. Our future will be just like our present is now. The things of the past have passed, have been and are gone. Nothing can be improved about them.
[00:04:08] Our lives have to start in the present.
[00:04:11] When we think good thoughts in the present, our future will be good too. When we speak and act well, our future will be good too.
[00:04:21] Everything has to start in the present moment because this is the current of heaven. Magga, the path, Palla, the fruit and Nibbana.
[00:04:32] All dhammas arise from causes and conditions. However the cause is like, the effect will turn out accordingly. They are following the law of cause and effect, the laws of science. It can't be any other way.
[00:04:49] What takes us beyond science are Sati and Panya that we are developing and having right view and right understanding. We don't cling or get deluded because acting in accordance with cause and effect is also in accordance with the path. The fruit has to arise accordingly when the effect arises. The Lord Buddha wants us to have sati and panya.
[00:05:15] Don't get deluded, delight in it and rest in carelessness.
[00:05:20] When we are deluded by happiness, we are someone without Panya. When we are happy, we need to have Panya. At the same time, if the course of our life is entirely virtuous and beneficial, we will fulfill our potential as human beings, go to heaven and reach Nibbna before we are dying.
[00:05:41] Some people ask the Lord Buddha if there is rebirth or emptiness after death. The Lord Buddha said that he doesn't answer this question because it won't solve any problems. It won't end. Dukkha.
[00:05:56] Instead of dying again and again for a long time, those people must get down to focusing on the present.
[00:06:04] We have to become happy by renouncing in our work and by taking responsibility, being diligent and enduring.
[00:06:14] We have to be happy and content in maintaining our lives.
[00:06:18] When we are happy, we will fulfill our human potential, go to heaven and reach Nibbana before death. Before we die, we will get there.
[00:06:29] When our body is old, before we really die, our heart will move beyond towards reaching the levels of Sotapanna, the Stream Enterer, Sakada, Gami and Anagami.
[00:06:42] And if we are ordained towards the level of Arahant, Awakened One too.
[00:06:48] We have to be happy and content in renouncing in the present moment while doing our work.
[00:06:55] When we are neurotic and have mental problems, are in debt and have all kinds of problems in the present, how can we go to Nibbana when we die in the future?
[00:07:05] We need a basis for taking this step.
[00:07:09] Nowadays there are many Thai people with mental problems and neuroses. The rich, materially high developed countries have even more mental problems and neuroses than us. This is caused by not practicing Dhamma.
[00:07:24] They are developing in terms of technology to be comfortable. But at the same time, they don't develop their hearts and minds to gain happiness from renouncing, which leads to mental problems and neurosis.
[00:07:37] Even before the age of 10, some children get mental problems because they inherit them from their parents who have mental problems and are neurotic.
[00:07:48] There is very little happiness in this. It is just delusion and amusement. On the material level, all families fall into debt, get mental problems and neuroses, quarrel, have problems with divorce and crime, and solve the problem by drinking spirits and beer, gambling and selling drugs such as amphetamine, opium, heroin, marijuana, ecstasy and ice, and through corruption.
[00:08:16] These phenomena appear in Thailand nowadays because. Because we don't understand life. We have to practice Dhamma and be happy with working and renouncing.
[00:08:26] Everyone who is like that has to solve this within him or herself. Through renouncing, being diligent, taking responsibility and enduring.
[00:08:37] We have to rely on ourselves.
[00:08:40] We depend on our parents. Our parents become old. We depend on the government, but the government can't even help itself.
[00:08:49] We depend on our boss, but the boss himself is just skin and bones. Because of the bad economy, all of us have to depend on ourselves. We have to be happy while doing our work and renouncing. There is nobody who can breathe or eat for us or go to the bathroom instead of us. Yours truly has to be your refuge.
[00:09:12] We are not born to take anything from others. We are born to give to others.
[00:09:18] For instance, look at the Lord Buddha. He accumulated Buddha Parami to renounce for the world, for the people, for all beings. Look at the example of His Majesty the King. He has a lot of merit and was born to renounce for Thailand and all other nations.
[00:09:36] In Thailand, there were droughts during the dry season because there was no dam.
[00:09:42] He built dams, barrages and reservoirs. When the Rain didn't fall according to the rainy season. The King researched artificial rain until he was able to make artificial rain to help the people.
[00:09:56] In the north, people were planting opium, heroin and marijuana.
[00:10:01] The King didn't allow them to plant opium or marijuana and started royal projects so that people wouldn't plant opium and marijuana anymore.
[00:10:11] These substances destroy the central nervous system of humans and their sati and panya.
[00:10:18] When the brain, sati and panya are destroyed, we can't solve any problems. For example, every year at New Year and Songkran, hundreds of people are dying. Many thousands are seriously injured and become crippled here in Thailand because of the consumption of spirits, beer, opium, heroin and marijuana.
[00:10:40] In Thailand, every government built casinos but the King did not. He encouraged people to be determined, to make a living and to be happy with working and renouncing. We have to be happy in working and renouncing at the same time as being self sufficient.
[00:10:57] Everyone has to be diligent and willing to renounce to gain one's necessities of life and something extra.
[00:11:05] When poverty and hardship arose, the communists entered Thailand. His Majesty the King didn't fight with the leaders of the communists. Instead, he started battling against the difficulties and hardship the people faced.
[00:11:19] Since the communists entered Thailand, the King did not leave the country conforming to the motto, the King does not leave the people. He will stay with them until his last breath.
[00:11:31] We have to take the King as our role model who was happy with doing his work and renouncing. Then we will be able to make our living and gain something extra. We will develop both in technology and on the spiritual level. At the same time, we keep looking in the distance at government officials and politicians who rule the country.
[00:11:53] We have to get back to looking at ourselves.
[00:11:56] We are lazy, don't renounce and are not diligent. Taking responsibility, enduring and showing gratitude. We have mitchaditti wrong view, are selfish and not happy with renouncing and are driving ourselves into poverty.
[00:12:14] We have to turn inwards and look at ourselves.
[00:12:18] We can be happy. We can be happy in renouncing and in doing our business and performing our duties. We have to be diligent. If we are not diligent, renounce, take responsibility, endure, are frugal, honest and grateful. They will call us a corrupt person.
[00:12:36] It is the corruption of a precious life, of a human existence.
[00:12:52] You are your own refuge.
[00:12:56] All of us have to depend on our renunciation, diligence, responsibility and endurance. We have to be happy in practicing.
[00:13:06] May you establish yourself in the Dhamma, the teaching of the Lord Buddha, everyone needs Panya to become happy.
[00:13:15] You, you may keep the five precepts. Pay respects to the Buddha and do chanting.
[00:13:20] Parents and children alike should learn the principal chants such as Atipiso, svakhato, supatipanno and so on.
[00:13:29] Your family must learn chanting as best they can.
[00:13:33] Do sitting meditation to relax the heart and the brain. Keep reciting Buddho buddho internally, without fail, many hundred or thousand times and make the heart peaceful.
[00:13:49] Let go of everything to make the heart peaceful and cool.
[00:13:53] You will become free from confusion and your heart and mind will be meritorious and skillful.
[00:14:01] When you don't have a Buddha RPA at home, it doesn't matter. Simply bow in the heart. Because the Buddha, the Dhamma and the noble Sangha, those with spiritual attainments are already dwelling in everyone's heart.
[00:14:16] Don't think that it is impossible because you don't have a Buddha Rupa because the Buddha is already residing in your heart.
[00:14:24] The parents are important in all families.
[00:14:28] The parents have to conduct themselves like role models and examples for their children and grandchildren.
[00:14:34] The parents are the domestic arahants for every family.
[00:14:39] Those who are fathers and mothers have to be particularly aware of this. They have to commit to not drinking spirits and beer and refraining from gambling.
[00:14:50] Don't follow your friends or the community on their bad track. When you practice well and correctly, your children and grandchildren will respect and revere you. When you say something, they will listen and believe you because you are their domestic monk. You have to give importance to the Dhamma.
[00:15:10] The villages of Baan Subthawi Kun Baan Bu Chow Kun Ban Khlong Blakang and many other villages close to Wat Pha Sup Tawi were very poor in the past because they were addicted to alcohol and gambling.
[00:15:27] Lungpur Ganha had those who were addicted to alcohol make a commitment to stop.
[00:15:34] All the households where people stopped drinking and gambling and decided to work, have a pickup truck or another good car. By now their status has changed from being in debt to having a surplus.
[00:15:47] We do good deeds for our father and mother, for the Lord Buddha to worship His Majesty the King and and for our family and relatives.
[00:15:57] Everybody needs a strong heart because you have drunk alcohol and gambled for many years. It takes a strong heart to be able to quit and stop.
[00:16:07] If you don't improve yourself, there will be someone who tells you to improve yourself.
[00:16:13] If you don't improve, you will get deeper in debt, have problems in the family and your life comes to a dead end.
[00:16:21] This can't be The Lord Buddha wants us to be aware and to have satip sampajanna, mindfulness and clear comprehension.
[00:16:32] For instance, at funerals, ordinations and weddings, it is not appropriate to provide alcohol, drink and gamble because these are bad ways of life. They are the path to decline and lower realms.
[00:16:46] They make us, our families and neighborhood drop into bad states that are not good at all.
[00:16:53] When we have dukkha and are not at ease, we don't have to drink alcohol. We have to know it and restrain ourself.
[00:17:02] Have an equanimous attitude and tell yourself that you don't have to cause yourself suffering by thinking about things you cannot change.
[00:17:12] Drinking alcohol and gambling are not the path of the Lord Buddha.
[00:17:17] When someone in the village dies, you have to help each other, Take money and goods to help others. All households have to look after each other to give each other a sense of comfort. When you hear bad news, you should go there together without any need for any invitation.
[00:17:36] There is no need to get together or to linger, drink alcohol and gamble, which is a lifestyle that is not beautiful.
[00:17:44] When we live in a village together, we should share our happiness and sorrows with the nearby villagers. Give importance to unity and harmony. We have to uphold the noble customs of the Lord Buddha that are good.
[00:18:00] Don't get deluded by giving importance to material things and money, only seeking refuge in it. We have to take spiritual matters and virtue to lead us onward.
[00:18:12] If we have a good heart that is happy and at ease, Sati and Panya of all kinds will come flowing to us. Wealth and fortune will come without exception. If the parents are good, the children and grandchildren will prosper and become rich and fortunate. If the parents have a good heart that is at ease, their offspring will be prosperous.
[00:18:36] When you do this, you will get to fulfill your human potential. Go to heaven and reach Nibbana before you die.
[00:18:44] Before you die, you will acquire the human treasure and be rich.
[00:18:49] Before you die, you will arrive in heaven, be comfortable and have a surplus.
[00:18:54] Before you die, you will enter nibbana. Your heart will be happy, peaceful and cool and you will have Panya around the clock.
[00:19:04] This Dhamma has to be in everyone's heart. It is not for preserving it in books, in the tipitaka, the monastic rules, the Buddha's sermons and the higher Buddhist philosophy. It has to be in our hearts.
[00:19:20] May your hearts be happy like this.
[00:19:24] The Lord Buddha taught us to make us understand the word letting go.
[00:19:29] Letting go means to let go of ditimana I and self, letting go of laziness. We have to put forth diligent effort, take responsibility, and endure more than we did before.
[00:19:43] Then we will have a good and easeful heart as well as Sati and Panya.
[00:19:57] That concludes the Dhamma teaching. You are your own refuge. By the Venerable Ajahn Gah.
[00:20:04] I want to thank Catherine Ronane from Cork in Ireland for pointing me in the direction of more talks by Ajahn Gah. And I want to thank all of the supporters of this podcast. Over the past year. Your generous contributions via Ko Fi have provided me with the funds and the inspiration to to keep this podcast going in 2025. Thank you all so much.
[00:20:28] May you all experience insight and sa sa it there.
