Recalling Ajahn Chah

I remember one time we were coming back from piṇḍapat (alms-round) and I was walking along behind him. My Thai was not so good, so I was just being respectful and walking close by him. We came in from the back of the monastery, and as we were walking through the forest, two lizards fell from a tree. Luang Por looked, then turned and said, ‘See those lizards, they were mating. If they weren’t caught in sensuality they wouldn’t have fallen and hurt themselves like this!’ It was very simple, and for a new monk a very funny and direct teaching.

These are very real situations, very ordinary, and very to the point. Luang Por’s ability to give examples and point to the things around us empowered us to see Dhamma ourselves, rather than looking to scripture or looking to him. To see that Dhamma is all around us and is something we can see for ourselves was very empowering. It was both direct and had that human quality.

This reflection by Luang Por Pasanno is from the book, Recollections of Ajahn Chah, pp. 12-13.