https://buddhanussati.github.io/dhamma-quotes Dhamma quotes by Ajahn Thate, updated every 6 hours Sat, 27 Jun 2026 20:01:38 GMT https://buddhanussati.github.io/dhamma-quotes/favicon2.png https://buddhanussati.github.io/dhamma-quotes/favicon2.png https://buddhanussati.github.io/dhamma-quotes

Kilesa Mara and Abhisankhara Mara: Defilements and Craving as Obstructions

Kilesa Mara — the Khandha Mara is itself a part of the defilements arising from within the mind, making everything we do steeped in laziness and sloth. That is called "Kilesa Mara." When we practice wholesome deeds and live the holy life in Buddhism, aiming for the Path, Fruition, and Nibbana, aiming for purity, defilements come to obstruct and hinder us, giving rise to love, anger, hatred, and aversion. These create obstacles so that we cannot accomplish our goal. Defilements arise internally; in whatever we do, defilements block us. Therefore, it is called "Mara." Abhisankhara Mara is great craving, the desire to become great and mighty. It is the insatiable desire to gain more and more success. Whatever we have done, we are not satisfied; we want even more. Why is it called Abhisankhara Mara? Because it is dissatisfied with things as they are. Being content with what we have and our station in life — that is called being satisfied.

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Secondary Unification: Seeing Causes and Results Clearly

Investigating again and again, seeing aniccaṃ, dukkhaṃ, anattā (impermanence, suffering, not-self) in everything, it unifies once more. That is secondary unification. The first unification is unclear; the second unification is clear. This means seeing the causes and results sufficiently. The initial unification involves merely abandoning and letting go passively. The second unification involves seeing the causes and results, the story behind things: good, evil, coarse, refined, what benefits oneself and others, and unifying it. That is secondary unification.

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Clinging Makes Things Self and Entity; Releasing Returns Them to Their Original State

Seeing that all things are like that, arise like that. We go and cling, grasping them as self and as entity, and thus they become self and entity. That very clinging is what makes them self and entity. When we release, relinquish, and let go, they return to their original state. Clinging is like that, not clinging is also like that. Then insight wisdom arises – that is wisdom that sees things according to their true nature and reality. It extends all the way, from the Triple Gem refuge, from faith, all the way to the path, fruition, and Nibbāna. Some teachers have said that whoever takes firm refuge in the Triple Gem, believes in kamma and its results, does not perform merit outside of Buddhism, does not believe in spirits, ghosts, amulets, or magical charms – if one follows Buddhism, there are no monks who still believe in magical charms. There is no Buddhism in them at all. Whoever is still attached to magical charms has not yet reached the religion.

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The Supreme Path: Like a Farmer Clearing a Forest

For the highest, supreme path of all paths—after the fruit, a certain mind characteristic inclines toward seclusion as object, then turns back to examine the path practice that abandoned defilements and conquered the mental objects that were abiding. This is like a farmer clearing a forest—after clearing it completely, he burns it until it becomes ash and dust. When the cleared forest is completely open, he examines that land with delight—where suitable for planting crops, he plants as he wishes.

Thus, good people who wish the deathless flavor to appear on the path—rejoice in the one path to reach peaceful seclusion. Practicing meditation as shown is not very difficult. If you know the path, in one blink, one mind-moment, you can reach the one-way path—no need to rest and sleep along the way, causing delay. Please establish faith and confidence in the path practice as your guide—the great goal we desire will surely be attained.

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Being Learned and an Investigator Alone Cannot Attain the Noble Truths

Dear readers, from these two analogies, you can clearly see that being learned and an investigator alone cannot walk the Noble Path to attain the true Noble Truths. But they used stillness, abandoning longing – no past, no future, not even present there. Whether knowledge arising from study and investigation, or from meditation and insight, they are merely tools for use in duties. When the duty is finished, the tools are put back in their place.

Having discussed those with considerable study, next I will discuss those without education but with a capital of great faith, who practice correctly according to the Noble Path and can attain the essence of Dhamma. Venerable Rādha, when still a layman, was without relatives or friends. Not to mention education – even the cloth to cover his extremely dirty body was tattered and torn. He lived in poverty. Food depended on the leftover almsfood of the monks in that monastery, just enough to sustain his intestines for a meal. Not to mention education. Whether it was due to his destitution or because faith arose on its own is hard to guess. But he wanted to ordain so badly that he became emaciated, yet no monk would help him ordain.

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Do Not Follow the Functions of the Mind; Gather the Mind into the Heart

When you come to practice the religion, aim to reach that point. If you cannot reach it yet, take it as a preliminary. Make it reach the heart — that is, see the heart. Do not follow the functions of the mind. Following them is useless. The mind's functions think, conceive, and wander through everything. When you know the heart, even if the mind thinks and wanders, those are the mind's own affairs. The heart remains stable. If you can gather the mind into the heart, then there is an end. Buddhism is not like the teachings of ordinary scholars. Buddhism teaches to the ultimate — reaching the heart. Other religions or other fields of knowledge teach endlessly, with no foundation to grasp. Enough for now.

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The Mind Must Unify into the Heart to Become Peaceful

In contemplating Dhamma—every piece, every part, every thing, every aspect—it is vast. We contemplate all of it from every angle. We use the citta (the thinking mind), not the heart (the peaceful mind), to contemplate various discernments and various skillful means. We use the mind—both good and bad, both gross and subtle. For example, contemplating the body through various methods—contemplating it as unattractive and loathsome (asubha), contemplating death (maraṇasati), contemplating the in-and-out breath—all of these contemplations are aimed at causing discernment to arise, at causing everything to converge inward, at causing the mind to unify into the heart. No matter how much the mind contemplates, it keeps wandering all the time. If it never unifies into the heart, it never becomes peaceful. I have often said: the mind only contemplates worldly matters, not Dhamma matters. It is entirely worldly, with no end. You could contemplate for your entire life—the mind never stops; it is distracted, restless, and annoyed by everything. There is no end to it. The end of the world, the end of defilements, the end of unwholesome states—all of that lies in the unification of the mind.

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Two Types of Tranquility: Mere Calmness and with Jhāna Factors

Tranquility (Samatha)

The contemplation of Kāyagatā—contemplating as the four elements, etc., culminating as the foundations of mindfulness—can be taken as the object of jhāna or as the object of concentration.

The word "tranquility" (samatha) refers to calming the mind from external turmoil—sending the mind to the sense bases (eye, etc.)—so that the mind becomes calm in a single object. This is called tranquility. Concentration (samādhi) is included in this tranquility, but with somewhat different characteristics and special qualities, as will be explained.

> Suddhi asuddhi paccattaṁ nāñño aññaṁ visodhaye > Purity and impurity are personal—no other can purify another.

Tranquility: Two Types

1. Tranquility that is mere calmness 2. Tranquility accompanied by jhāna factors

Tranquility that is mere calmness: Whether using a meditation subject or not, one calms the mind to remain quietly without reaching jhāna factors. This is called tatramajjhattupekkhā (equanimity in that state). It can occur for ordinary people in certain circumstances, not limited to meditators.

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The Danger of Meditating for Five or Ten Minutes and Wanting Vipassanā

Then the mind withdraws to normal. But when contemplating any direction — oneself, others, other things, internal and external — all are seen as the three characteristics. One feels such spiritual urgency that one can hardly speak to ordinary people, but can easily speak with fellow practitioners.

Unlike people in this atomic age who meditate for five or ten minutes without even attaining samādhi, yet want to know and understand many things, or want vipassanā to arise. Their craving only multiplies. They wander seeking knowledge from texts and then contemplate that, understanding that this is vipassanā. They memorize it and recite it to their teacher for validation. If the teacher praises them, they are happy; if not, their vipassanā disappears.

True and genuine insight-wisdom arises from samādhi meditation that has become skilled; then it gradually arises. It is not easy to fabricate. Otherwise, everyone would be an arahant. For example, Ven. Ānanda, as explained earlier.

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The Three Types of Bhavaṅga According to Abandoning Sense Objects

Bhavaṅga

The commentators classify three types of bhavaṅga according to the stages of abandoning objects from the twelve sense bases. When internal and external sense bases contact, objects arise. The meditator, seeing the danger, abandons them to a greater or lesser degree according to their disposition, merit, and pāramī. If they abandon much, they enter much bhavaṅga; if moderate, moderate; if little, little.

Bhavaṅga is classified as:

1. Bhavaṅgupāta: The meditator sees the danger of external and internal sense bases contacting, causing objects — love, hate, delight, aversion — making the heart waver according to those objects, endless. Then they become disenchanted, seeing peace from those objects as happiness, and unify into bhavaṅga. As bhavaṅgupāta, they unify a little, then withdraw. The meditator then continues effort.

2. Bhavaṅgacaraṇa: As bhavaṅgacaraṇa, they unify for a longer time. When entered, there is a characteristic of wandering within the jhāna object itself, not sending out externally.

3. Bhavaṅgupaccheda: When the mind unifies, it cuts off all external objects, leaving only the pure mind alone.

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