TAHN AJAHN WANCHAIS Q&A WITH MONKS FROM WAT PAH NANACHAT

Warrior Heart Ajahn Chandako: May we please ask a few questions, Tahn Ajahn? Tahn Ajahn Wanchai: [gestures affirmatively] But Ajahn Chah is already top-notch. Ajahn Chandako: Venerable Ajahn, how should one develop and train one's temperament and personality in order to see and realize the Dhamma? Tahn Ajahn Wanchai: Every person, every heartkilesa has been their master since time immemorial. Whatever kilesa has led us to do has become our personality. Some people like to eat a lot, sleep a lot or have a lot of material possessions. Some people don't like having to deal with others. Kilesa causes these traits to form. Once we've decided to modify these habitual tendencies, applying the Buddha's Dhamma, we take the Dhamma which is their opposite, their enemy. For example, someone who likes to sleep a lot has to practice going without sleep. Someone who likes to eat a lot has to take on the ascetic practices (dhutangavatta): putting all your food in your bowl, with absolutely nothing left outside of it, and then eating just the right amount. People who are gregarious and chatty have to go and live alone, not allowing themselves to get involved with other people. One keeps working on these tendencies. People who are coarse, people who are sloppy, people who never put their heart into anything they do, have to train themselves with those things which counter their innate character traits. You have to be discriminating in choosing the Dhamma teachings which are appropriate. Study and get to know your own temperament. Make sure you really do it. Once you know if you are a greedy typefor instance, greedy for food or you love to sleep--then make sure you take up the teachings of the Buddha which are the kilesas' opposites in order to counteract them. Once we manage to oppose them, we then find out that we have some strength to contend with these kilesas. Stand up to them. For example, I told Tahn Brad, "Don't have any coffee. Just try it out for a while. Resist this one." Stand up to your deeply ingrained habits of personality. Stand up to them until the mind and heart are balanced and centered, until the mind and heart do not waver. Whether you then get any coffee to drink or not, the mind and heart are equanimous, still and unmoved. That is, equanimous after being tested. Until we've tested ourselves it's still not a sure thing. There's also the equanimity of kilesa. The equanimity that we're looking for arises from having tested, struggled with and seen for ourselves. Ajahn Chandako What is the purpose and benefit of monastic etiquette (kor wat) and serving one's teacher (cariya vatta), specifically the way the Krooba Ajahns of our tradition use them? Tahn Ajahn Wanchai: The Buddha himself taught it all: the fourteen kiccavattas, how the Ajahn relates to his disciplesthis is the Ajahn's particular kor watand how the disciples relate to their Ajahnthis is the kor wat specifically for them. There's kor wat for the senior monks concerning how to behave towards those more junior to them and kor wat for the junior monks concerning how to behave towards those more senior. Kor wat includes everybody. It doesn't just refer to the responsibilities of those newly ordained towards their mentor. The Ajahn has his kor wat practices as well. He has to look after all aspects of his disciples' well-being, from the food they eat and the requisites they use, to words of 1

guidance and teaching. He's there to benefit his disciples, so they don't have to struggle to find food, shelter and requisites, in order that they will have the time to put forth unremitting effort. The disciples repay their Ajahn by carrying out the various kor wat duties. While repaying their debt of gratitude to him they also get to know his personal characteristics. They study the traditional ways of the Buddha and of the old generation of Krooba Ajahns in order that those traditions won't decline. They see the appropriate way for disciples to relate to their mentor and how the mentor relates to his disciples. Each person has their appropriate kor wat. The benefits of this are that the disciples have abundant free time for practising. They inherit the knowledge imparted by the Krooba Ajahns. They make the lives of these old masters a bit easier; and as those disciples become more senior they will be thoroughly acquainted with the Vinaya of this sasana and the monastic etiquette so that they in turn may pass it on to others in the future. A further benefit is that once you've taken care of a Krooba Ajahn, when you yourself become senior other people will return the favor to you. Or whether you become a layperson or wherever you happen to be reborn, having offered services to a Krooba Ajahn, there will be people waiting to lend you a helping hand. Having fetched water, offered this and that, people will look after you in a similar way. The greatest benefit is this: one gets the opportunity to study intimately the ways and habits of the Krooba Ajahns, gets to know what kind of temperaments they have that they were able to do battle with the kilesas and emerge as our Krooba Ajahns. This is the most important point, the best and highest benefit. The lesser benefit is that there will be people to attend on and look after us in the future. Wherever we're reborn and whatever we do, we won't go without or be poor. There will always be people to help us. Kor Wat defines how we practise towards each other: between teacher and student, seniors and juniors, general communal etiquette, behavior in the dinning hall, at the hot drink, while using the toilet, etc. There are lots, and it's all beneficial. You have to use your pa to thoroughly contemplate these duties, so you know that without exceptions they are all of benefit. They have the ability to subdue our kilesassubdue laziness, for one thing. They subdue conceited opinions and arrogance. Maybe our teacher didn't have much schooling, didn't graduate with any degrees, only completing a few years in grade school. But his knowledge of Dhamma is vast. Those of us who are highly educated however, might be very arrogant and proud of ourselves that we have a degree and have studied a wide range of subjects. We do this kor wat for subduing conceit as well. This self-inflation can't be allowed to manifest or else we'll never see our heart's true nature. Conceit is one form of kilesa. If we are proud of ourselves for being well educated, well off or upper class, we will never be able to dissolve this conceit and flush it out of our heart. This is another important point. Ajahn Chandako: Venerable Ajahn, what are the biggest obstacles for meditation (kammatthna) monks in the present age? Tahn Ajahn Wanchai: Oneself. The kammatthna monk himself. Other things don't obstruct. If the kammatthna monk goes astray, everything else gets totally spoiled. In any age the most important factor is oneself. There's no greater obstacle than one's own heart, the kilesas in one's own heart. That says it all, don't you think? Just that. Don't go thinking that other things are obstacles. Just ourselves. It doesn't matter how abundant food may be, if we're under control we won't get lost in it. Even if we have too many tools and an excess of equipment, if we don't get lost in it it's not detrimental. But if we start to get lost in iteven a little bitthen even if we're eating little and living simply we sabotage 2

ourselves. The obstacle for a kammatthna monk is the kammatthna monk himself, the kilesas in the heart of the kammatthna monk. This is the most important one. The next most important obstacle is not having a Krooba Ajahn to guide us. If we get stuck at some point, it can be next to impossible to solve it by ourselves. Still, this is of secondary importance. We are our own biggest obstacle. Luang Pu Mun and Luang Pu Sao didn't have a Krooba Ajahn at all. They read the scriptures and practised accordingly. They were still able to attain enlightenment because they were careful with themselves. One's primary enemy is oneself. This is the most onerous, the most cruel. Next to that is being without a Krooba Ajahn and a good monastic community, but this is secondary. Not being diligent in putting forth effort in meditation, not having a heart that's firmly resolved, this is the obstacle. If we are lazy in even just one area, there's no chance of ever seeing Dhamma. If we're feeble and frail rather than strong and steadfast in our Dhamma practice, we won't see our own heart. This is the abbreviated answer. Afraid of Death Ajahn Chandako: How then do we overcome fear, Ajahn, especially... Tahn Ajahn Wanchai: Wait, wait. What's the most important obstacle for kammatthna monks in the present age? Ajahn Chandako: Oneself. Tahn Ajahn Wanchai: Errr. I was afraid you'd forget. (laughs) What were you asking? Ajahn Chandako: How do we overcome fear, especially the fear of death? Tahn Ajahn Wanchai: Firstly, panna. Panna first and foremost. We see: absolutely everyone dies. We look at ourselves, at our own body: we will die as well. This is extremely fertile ground for paa to contemplate. I'll answer briefly, but the fruits it yields are limitless. Panna will penetrate this issue of death through and through, and then we'll have no fear of dying. Secondly, being a person of couragecourageous in the face of hardshiplike our Krooba Ajahns. In the old days when they set out walking on tudong they weren't concerned one bit whether there would be food to eat or medicine available if they got sick. They couldn't care less. They surrendered themselves to the truth. If this body lives it lives. It follows the laws of nature and is subject to one's kamma. If you gotta die you gotta die. Nothing can help you at that point. Constantly bringing this to mind, the fear of death gradually diminishes. Regularly facing this predicament and contemplating it, the fear of death gradually diminishes until the key moment: when you're gravely ill, on your deathbed. You then rely on wisdom, maraasati, taking death as the focus of your meditation. Sometimes the fear of dying completely vanishes. Occasionally people of great innate capabilities such as Por Mae Krujahn (Luang Pu Mah Boowa) would sit in meditation all night, fully prepared to die in the process. Fully reconciled with death, he realized enlightenment. If one doesn't fully abandon to the idea of death, one doesn't realize enlightenment. Fear of death is a huge obstacle. In the beginning you have to be brave. Pa then offers the best understanding: fear of death only leads to suffering. It doesn't help us at all. Fearing death has never prevented anyone from dying. It can't. The ones who are afraid to die have to die. The ones who aren't afraid to die have to die. What's the point of being afraid? If fear is coming up, walk deep in the forest searching for a tiger... until the fear subsides. When you're experiencing fear of death, sit in meditation a long, long time. Sit until the pain is so bad it 3

feels like you are going to die...until the fear subsides. There. That's how you conquer fear, conquer the fear of death. You have to genuinely battle. If you're still afraid of death it's impossible to go beyond dukkha. The undeniable truth of death coupled with a cowardly heart is nothing but self-deception. Death does not faze me one bit. My heart stands unmoved. Because death and the heart are totally different things. The body and the citta are separate things. If you can develop samadhi, this is the most secure foundation. While in samadhi the body and the citta separate, and then you'll know that although the body dies the citta has never died. It's necessary that pa, the inquiring mind, understands in this wayunderstands that it's imperative to generate samdhi. Then you'll know that death is meaningless, that it's not dangerous for anyone. Whoever fears it just creates suffering for themselves. Fear then gradually fades. In the present age when we are our own biggest obstacles, we don't have the courage to sit in meditation for long periods of time like the old masters, don't have the guts to occasionally do long fasts. When we're sick or in pain we lack the courage to patiently endure with a valiant heart. Instead we go running for a doctor looking for medicine. In the old days the Krooba Ajahns patiently bared with it. When sick or in pain they would first persevere and contemplate it. They used the sickness to their own advantage. If there were medicine available, then they would take it, and if there was a doctor to treat them, fine. But if there wasn't, it didn't matter to them. But we don't dare to do it the way they did. There's only fear: afraid to get sick, afraid of discomfort, and afraid of death. These fears give rise to suffering, nothing but suffering. They don't give rise to any happiness whatsoever. In the beginning, the way to overcome the fear of death is to challenge it, bit by bit, sometimes fasting, sometimes going without sleep. Experience some dukkha. Once you start to experience some dukkha what's your heart like then? Does it tremble? Does it cower in the face of suffering? Gradually relax the fears. They'll fade and dissolve If you are truly 'geng'', sincerely have what it takes, then bhavan 'til dawn, sit in meditation or walk jongrom all night longuntil it hurts so much you think you're actually going to die. The citta however, can't be harmed. Remaining still and equanimous the entire time, the citta knows it won't die. It's only the body that dies, only the kilesas that die. Since beginningless time the citta has never died. Once this is seen, fear vanishes entirely. If you haven't yet reached this point, fear merely gradually tapers off. To the degree that you're rigorous with the kor wat practice and tenacious in your bhavan, fear will gradually diminish to that extent. It fades step by step until you reach a certain point where sla, samdhi and pann have sufficient strength, and fear then ceases for good. However at this stage of the game, you have to whittle away at it bit by bit. Fear of hardship, fear of unhappiness, fear of painwrestle with these for the time being. Once you've contended with these, then you can wrestle with the fear of death. Samanera Khemavaro: For the beginning meditator, should we go for the peaceful states or be peaceful with whatever state we're in? Tahn Ajahn Wanchai: In the beginning go at it from any angle. The Buddha's teaching is excellent through and through, but don't stray outside of His teachings. When you know you're suffering and you want to be free of that suffering, however you want to meditate is fine. If you want to be peaceful then meditate on a mantra. If you want to contemplate, then get down to the investigative work. For the beginner there's nothing wrong with this at all. 4

It's just like eating. You can eat your rice first or pick up your piece of chicken first. Either way you end up full. You can eat your curry first or your sweets firstneither way is strange. It all conduces to a full belly. The important point is this: however you practise do it with resolute sincerity. If at some particular point it isn't working to calm the mind, then you have to investigate. If at some other point it's not the right time to investigate, then you have to develop peace of mind. It's all five-star food. The Buddha's Dhamma-discourses are all like the highest quality food. Whatever you eat it's good for your health. You don't have to discriminate: "This is rice. This must be eaten first. That's meat and has to be eaten afterwards." Whatever you reach down and pick up, eat it straightaway. If you pick up some rice, eat rice. If you pick up a sweet, eat the sweet. You just keep going until you're full. Bhavan is the same. This is why it's important to know one's temperament. If we enjoy thinking too much, we've got to develop serenity first. If we're someone who's simply silent, then turn to reflective thought. OK? To be Mindful Venerable Araako: How can I overcome doubts about my own ability? Tahn Ajahn Wanchai: The Buddha was originally just like us. Tahn Ajahn Chah used to be just like uswith a head full of kilesa. No one's any different. All of the Buddhas gradually worked at it, struggling bit by bit. They steadily developed good and beautiful qualities, steadily developed effort. They didn't stop. They kept at it, over and over and over. The more they did the greater their abilities became. There's nothing to doubt here. But kilesas lead us into doubt until they've got us, right? The Buddha used to be just like we are now, with a heart teeming with kilesa. He made good through putting forth effort. He fought on with the weapon of effort. The truth is He was no different from us. Having kilesas just like us, the Buddha battled on, step by step, any way he could. We are the same. Right now we've got kilesas full to the brim just like He once had, so we have to battle on just like He did. If we can emulate the Buddha's struggle, our kilesas will cease just like His did. No being is any different. Every heart is essentially the same: overwhelmed and obscured by kilesa. The people who are different are the Buddha and His Noble disciples. Having seen the danger, they steadily fought on. Fearing dukkha, fearing death and rebirth, they kept struggling onthey had tountil eventually they put an end to birth and death, and all the suffering ceased. Everyone has the same potential, but it takes longer for some people than others. Everyone has the ability. Even when the Buddha was born as an animal in his previous lives, He still put forth effort. The different types of effort all have the ability to quell dukkha. Whoever you are, this is how it has to be done. Do you see? The greats of the past were no different than you are, so what's there to doubt about? At present it may seem that your level of ability is pretty minute, but if you don't do something about it, it will never increase. If you don't actually have much ability, then you have to create and develop it. Even those people with considerable ability-- but not yet enough to know and realize the Dhammastill have to keep improving and expanding that ability. However you look at it, the path is there, but you have to make sure you walk it. The alternative is to be forever sunk in this mass of dukkha, continually fearing death, fearing hunger and fearing discomfort with no end in sight. There's only one path. Whether your ability is great or small you just have to keep fighting forwards until you've gone beyond. You can go beyond dukkha. Understand? 5

Venerable Panando: Why is everything done so quickly here? Tahn Ajahn Wanchai: Some things we don't do quickly. The things which should be done quickly we do quickly. (laughs) The things which should be done slowly we do slowly. So you see, it's not everything. If some things are done too slowly it just wastes our time. If some things are done too quickly we lose our mindfulness, and our wisdom suffers. It all depends on what's appropriate: fast when it's appropriate and slow when it's appropriate. It's not that we have to do everything quickly. Some things should be done slowly, so we have to do them slowly. Some things should be done quickly, so we have to do them quickly. When something which should be done quickly is done slowly, it's nothing but a waste of valuable time. When things should be done slowly are rushed, the results are no good. There are good reasons why some things are done slowly and good reasons why some things are done quickly. It's not that one does everything quickly. Is that clear? Venerable Panando: Um, not really. (laughter) Ajahn Chandako: What are the criteria why some thingsalmsround, the choresare done more quickly than others are? Tahn Ajahn Wanchai: (laughing) So we get them finished quickly! It saves time. For most people when living in a large group, if things are done slowly it just eats up precious timea half an hour here, an hour there. If someone is living alone, whether he does things slowly or quickly he won't be out of sync with the communal kor wat. But when living in a large group one should do things quick and snappy. Passing out the food for example...if each person was picking and choosing, a bit here and a bit there, it'd take ages, for heaven's sake. But it's only some things that I have us do quickly, not everything, got it? The things which should be done slow are slow. (laughter fades to soft chuckle) Samanera Gunavuddho: I wonder if the Ajahn could speak on Right Effort. When is it appropriate to strive and push and when is it appropriate not to push? Tahn Ajahn Wanchai: Never slacken. We should be putting forth effort continuously until we realize the Dhamma. It's as if our house were on fire. One who sees the danger in sa sra, who sees the dangerfearing death, fearing birth and all that goes with it, it's like their house is burning down. What are we supposed to do, be lax? We've got to hurry to put the fire out as quickly as possible. So there's no best kind of Right Effort, Samm Vymo, but the effort has to be relentless, around the clock--the only exception being when we're asleepuntil we realize Enlightenment. This is the effort that's 'Right', that's correct and most appropriate. Those times when the effort is intense and when it's gentle will vary. It depends. But the effort has to be unremitting.

Our house is on fire. What are we going to do? Take a rest and a nap? Hang out and chat? Wrong. Someone who sees the danger in birth and death, who sees the danger in all the diverse and sundry issues...having ordained, what are they going to do? Will they be a monastic who just hangs out in robes? Can they afford to be weak and feeble in their effort? No way. Our house is on fire. We have to do everything in our power to douse the flames. If the fire's not out, we have to do whatever we can to salvage as many of the valuable possessions as possible. Someone whose house is on fire can't afford to be blase and do nothing. They can't do anything other than extinguishing the fire or salvaging possessions. One who sees the danger in birth and death has to put forth effort continuously. There has to be a 6

theme or object of meditation that constantly guides our mind and kor wat that constantly guides our body and behavior. Samanera nasro: How do we create a sense of urgency in practice so that we accelerate our efforts and don't waste time? Tahn Ajahn Wanchai: Firmly establish mindfulness. That's why we practise kor wat and cariya vatta. They train us to be mindful. When attending on or offering something to a Krooba Ajahn, one has to have keen awareness. All of the kor wat rules train our mindfulness. Even while eating we contemplate the nature of food in order to develop mindfulness. Following all the different kinds of kor wat that the Buddha and the Krooba Ajahns have taught us are, without exception, conducive to mindfulness. If we're determined to keep the kor wat flawlessly, mindfulness will improve. The increasingly sharp mindfulness will make it easier to meditate. When, for example, we take up the mantra 'Buddho, Buddho', the mindfulness that's been developed will facilitate bhavan. So kor wat in all its detail is essential. Generating mindfulness requires taking the kor wat seriously. When mindfulness increases in strength, entering a state of samdhi becomes easier and easier, and whatever is contemplated is seen clearly and thoroughly. Ajahn Chandako: May I please ask one final question, Kroojan? What was it that you were pointing out to us the other morning in the dining hall? [That morning after the food had been passed out while sitting in silence before beginning to eat, I suddenly heard Tahn Ajahn Wanchai call out from the other end of the hall, "Tahn James! Tell your novice to (...something, something. I couldn't hear..) his bowl. "] Tahn Ajahn Wanchai: This novice (nasro) was looking all over the place. If you just glance up momentarily, no problem. But he wasn't looking in his bowl at all. He didn't contemplate his food at all. He was staring outside the whole time. Here, you see, this is kor wat. There was no mindfulness there. Mindfulness has to know right here. The Buddha taught to contemplate our food. Mindfulness then gains strength. The rice was here, but his eyes were straying way over there. It shows that his mindfulness was straying way over there. It wasn't focused here (pointing into an imaginary bowl in front of him). It wasn't focused here (pointing to his heart). This is the benefit of kor wat. Abandoning the kor wat like this shows that mindfulness has been lost. (We took leave of Tahn Ajahn and bowed) Tahn Ajahn Wanchai: You're sure no one wants to go stay with Tahn Brad? He only gets a tiny bit of food on almsround, but it's enough. You don't have to make things complicated. The Dhamma of the Krooba Ajahns is utterly reliable. Tahn Ajahn Chah's Dhamma is excellent through and through. Keep it simple. Discussing practice informally like this is sufficient. Take Tahn Ajahn Chah and Luang Dta (Mah Boowa) as your anchors.

Tahn Ajahn Wanchai Wijito Sangha Forest Monastery, Serng Kerng Mountain Questions and Answers With Monks From Wat Pah Nanachat 10 January, 2000 7