02/06/2026
Q&A with Ajahn suchart abhijato
Monk: When you lived with Luang Ta Mahā Boowa, one of the most renowned teachers in Thailand for many years, do you have any stories of him guiding you or other monks that are particularly notable, either in terms of being fierce or compassionate?
Tan Ajahn: Well, he taught by example: how he lived and how he practiced. He also taught by giving Dhamma talks. He told us about his personal experiences from the practice, how he dealt with the fear of death, for instance.
When you go into the mountain or the forest, you might come across some wild animals, so he taught us how to deal with this fear. So, you know, just from his talks, his experiences and his behavior—this is how we learned from him, but mostly from the talks. The talks were more detailed.
But also his way of life: how he kept the dhutanga practices, how he went on alms rounds every day. This inspired us to follow him. If he hadn’t gone on alms rounds every day, we also wouldn’t have followed him. We wouldn’t have wanted to go on alms rounds either. So a lot of what he taught was through the way he lived. He lived in the forest. He lived simply. He didn’t have a luxurious, trap-filled way of life.
At Wat Pa Baan Taad, he refused to have electricity or running water. Only later, in his later years, when he was old and there were a lot of people coming to the monastery, I think he allowed some electricity in some kuṭīs, but not in all the kuṭīs. So this is how we learned from him: by staying with him, following the way he lived, the way he practiced.
“Dhamma in English, Aug 1, 2024.”
By Ajahn Suchart Abhijāto
www.phrasuchart.com
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