Ajahn Jayasaro

Question: How long did you stay with him?

Answer: I arrived in late 1978 and I can’t say that I spent that long a time with him. In the early 80’s he became seriously ill. After my first pansa (rain retreat), which I spent at Wat Nah Pho, I really wanted to be his upatthak (attendant) and this was one reason why I learned Thai because I thought it would give me a better chance. There was a rota system and he was going to spend some time in Wat Pah Gud Wai and I was chosen as one of the upatak to go to Wat Pah Gud Wai. That was a time I remember very fondly. Because it wasn’t such a big monastery as Wat Pah Pong it was easier to get close to Ajahn Chah. At Wat Pah Pong there were so many monks and quite a lot of competition to be close to Ajahn Chah, and sometimes when I saw that, I just wanted to withdraw. I didn’t want to fight anybody to be upatak or anything. I was shy that way.

Then he went back to Wat Pah Pong and he told me to stay and look after the Abbot of Wat Pah Gud Wai. So I stayed, but then on uposatha days, I walked to Wat Pah Pong, which is about 7 or 8 kilometres away. After the meal I went to Ajahn Chah’s kuti. Sometimes he’d go upstairs and rest, and I would massage his feet and tell him what I was doing. After Patimokkha I’d go back to Wat Pah Gud Wai.

Ajahn Chah was very famous with many, many disciples, monks and lay people. It wasn’t so easy to have quiet time with him but again, for some reason, it didn’t really trouble me because he told us what to do; he was quite clear. I felt happy just knowing he was there and that if I wanted to go and see him, I could. But really I didn’t need to go often.

Question: Do you have any experience of psychic power?

Answer: I believe that he had many psychic powers but I think it’s important that his policy was not to stress this or talk about it in public. So if one of his disciples had psychic powers, then in private he would discuss it with them. But if a monk had no samadhi or psychic power and they asked him about it, he would be very stern, ‘It’s none of your business.’ If you asked him about things that were beyond your own level, he often wouldn’t answer, or he’d say, ‘It’s just a waste of time.’ He could be very stern in that way.
There are many occasions, especially in the early years, when he showed these psychic powers. Other times maybe it’s just the faith of the disciple who simply imagine this on the basis of attachment (upadana). I don’t think you can always say it is ‘upadana’; there are definite occasions when it’s clearly true, I think. So I have real belief that Ajahn Chah had psychic powers. For me it’s not such an exciting thing, not as much as his wisdom, loving-kindness and purity, and the fact that he would never show any defilements in his conduct.

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