The Dhamma Goes Westward

I've heard of people who worship their deities by sacrificing animals. They kill ducks, chickens and cows and offer that to their gods, thinking that will be pleasing to them. This is wrong understanding. They think they are making merits, but it's the exact opposite: they are actually making a lot of bad kamma. Someone who really looks into this won't think like that. But have you noticed? I'm afraid people in Thailand are becoming like that. They're not applying real investigation.

Question: Is that vīmamsā?

Ajahn Chah: It means understanding cause and result.

Question: Then the teachings talk about chanda, satisfaction; viriya, exertion; citta (the four iddhipāda, 'bases for accomplishment' ).

Ajahn Chah: When there's satisfaction, is it with something that is correct? Is exertion correct? Vīmamsā has to be present with these other factors.

Question: Are citta and vīmamsā different?

Ajahn Chah: Vīmamsā is investigation. It means skillfulness or wisdom. It is a factor of the mind. You can say that chanda is mind, viriya is mind, citta is mind, vīmamsā is mind. They are all aspects of mind, they all can be summarized as 'mind,' but here they are distinguished for the purpose of pointing out these different factors of the mind. If there is satisfaction, we may not know if it is right or wrong. If there is exertion, we don't know if it's right or wrong. Is what we call mind the real mind? There has to be vīmamsā to discern these things. Investigating the other factors with wise discernment, our practice gradually comes to be correct and we can understand the Dhamma.

But Dhamma doesn't bring much benefit if we don't practice meditation. We won't really know what it is all about. These factors are always present in the mind of real practitioners. Then even if they go astray, they will be aware of that and be able to correct it. So their path of practice is continuous.

People may look at you and feel your way of life, your interest in Dhamma, makes no sense. Others may say that if you want to practice Dhamma, you ought to be ordained as a monk. Being ordained is not really the crucial point. It's how you practice. As it's said, one should be one's own witness. Don't take others as your witness. It means learning to trust yourself. Then there is no loss. People may think you are crazy, but never mind. They don't know anything about Dhamma.

Others' words can't measure your practice. And you don't realize the Dhamma because of what others say. I mean the real Dhamma. The teachings others can give you are to show you the path, but that isn't real knowledge. When people meet the Dhamma, they realize it specifically within themselves. So the Buddha said, ''The Tathāgata is merely one who shows the way.'' When someone is ordained, I tell them, ''Our responsibility is only this part: The reciting ācariya have done their chanting. I have given you the Going Forth and vows of ordination. Now our job is done. The rest is up to you, to do the practice correctly.''

Teachings can be most profound, but those who listen may not understand. But never mind. Don't be perplexed over profundity or lack of it. Just do the practice wholeheartedly and you can arrive at real understanding - it will bring you to the same place they are talking about. Don't rely on the perceptions of ordinary people. Have you read the story about the blind men and the elephant? It's a good illustration.

Suppose there's an elephant and a bunch of blind people are trying to describe it. One touches the leg and says it's like a pillar. Another touches the ear and says it's like a fan. Another touches the tail and says, ''No, it's not a fan; it's like a broom.'' Another touches the shoulder and says it's something else again from what the others say.

It's like this. There's no resolution, no end. Each blind person touches part of the elephant and has a completely different idea of what it is. But it's the same one elephant. It's like this in practice. With a little understanding or experience, you get limited ideas. You can go from one teacher to the next seeking explanations and instructions, trying to figure out if they are teaching correctly or incorrectly and how their teachings compare to each other. Some monks are always traveling around with their bowls and umbrellas learning from different teachers. They try to judge and measure, so when they sit down to meditate they are constantly in confusion about what is right and what is wrong. ''This teacher said this, but that teacher said that. One guy teaches in this way, but the other guy's methods are different. They don't seem to agree'' It can lead to a lot of doubt.