Counteracting Superstition

One of the characteristics for which Ajahn Chah was most well-known was his keenness to dispel superstition in relation to Buddhist practice in Thailand.

He strongly criticized the magic charms, amulets and fortune-telling that pervade so much of that society. He rarely spoke about past or future lives, other realms, visions or psychic experiences. Anyone who came to him asking for a tip about the next winning lottery number (a very common reason why some people go to visit famous Ajahns) would generally get very short shrift.

He saw that the Dhamma itself was the most priceless jewel which could provide genuine protection and security in life, and yet it was continually overlooked for the sake of the promise of minor improvements to saṃsāra. Over and over he emphasized the usefulness and practicality of Buddhist practice out of a genuine feeling of kindness for others, counteracting the common belief that Dhamma was too high or abstruse for the common person. His criticisms were not aimed just to break down childish dependencies on good luck and magical charms; rather he wanted people to invest in something that would truly serve them.

In the light of this life-long effort, an ironic twist of circumstance accompanied his funeral in 1993. He passed away on the 16th of January 1992 and his funeral was held exactly a year later. The memorial stūpa had 16 pillars, was 32 meters high, and had foundations 16 meters deep – consequently, a huge number of people in Ubon Province bought lottery tickets with ones and sixes together. The next day the headlines in the local paper proclaimed: LUANG POR CHAH’S LAST GIFT TO HIS DISCIPLES – the 16s had cleaned up and a couple of local bookmakers had even been bankrupted.

This reflection by Ajahn Amaro is from the book, An Introduction to the Life and Teachings of Ajahn Chah, (pdf) pp. 65-66.