Ajahn Suchart
Than Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto was born in Thailand in 1947 and received a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Civil Engineering from California State University before returning to Thailand to manage an ice cream shop in Pattaya. Receiving a copy of Wheel 186 from a tourist, he realized the importance of meditation and wrote to the BPS requesting more. He received from them a copy of the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta which he then chanted and practiced diligently. Leaving his job in 1974 to meditate full time, he was ordained at Wat Bowon by Somdet Yan himself in 1975 thanks to the help of Bhikkhu Khantipalo before traveling to Wat Pa Baan Taad where he would train under Luangta Maha Bua for the next nine years.
For his tenth rains, Ajahn Suchart came back to Pattaya where he has remained ever since. You can find his teachings and more at PhraSuchart.com.
~ Adapted from My Way: An Autobiography
Selected Works (in chronological order)
Featured in the course, " The Practice of Buddhism"
Featured in the course, " An Introduction to Buddhist Philosophy"
But one day your body’s gonna say, “No, I can no longer do it.” Your body becomes old, sick or incapacitated. You cannot do anything. Then, people may think about killing themselves, right? But if you have peace from meditation, then you don’t need the body. Whatever happens to the body doesn’t bother you. You can still have peace and happiness directly. You don’t need a medium like the body and the things that the body consumes to make it happy. All you need is mindfulness to calm your mind, to stop your mind.
But it’s not easy. Mindfulness doesn’t come easily but it’s not impossible. You just have to concentrate on your effort to be mindful
when thereʼs fuel, fire will keep burning until thereʼs nothing left
Translations by Ajahn Suchart:
We must use sati-paññā to sound out and see the dukkha. To see clearly the heat with insight. Then turn to see our Heart – is that also red-hot as well? Or is it only the body parts (dhātu-khandha) that are heated? If one possesses discernment then the Heart will not be moved. It will be cool within the mass of fire which is the body burning with the fires of dukkha. This is the way of those who practise.