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Meet the monk: Ajahn Sucitto

Ajahn Succito was born in London in 1949. He received bikkhu ordination in 1976 in Thailand, came to Britain in 1978 and was part of the original group established Cittaviveka under Ajahn Sumedho in 1979. Ajahn Sucitto helped establish Harnham Vihara in 1981, then Amaravati in 1984, and in 1992 became the third abbot of Cittaviveka, where he remains today.   “When you handle the present with mindfulness, the future will be conditioned by awareness”   “Samadhi arises- not of forcing the mind onto the breath but out of a relationship of ease, contentment, trust, and steadiness”   “True relationship […]

What is enlightenment?

Enlightenment refers to liberation from suffering and the mental toxins or “defilements” that are its cause. It is the realization of the true nature of “the way things are”. An enlightened being understands the experiences Nibbana, the unconditioned reality that lies behind it. The Buddha referred to this state as the “supreme happiness”. The enlightened mind is characterized by wisdom, compassion and purity. The Buddha taught that all human beings, male and female, are born with the potential for enlightenment. The Buddha spoke of four stages of enlightenment, and thus four kinds of enlightened beings. The first of these beings […]

Sufi Tale – Ant in the desert

  -Where are you going?- they asked to the ant -To the Kaa’ba- said the little insect -In that pace? – Yes, really. At this pace I wouldn’t arrive to the Kaa’ba, but I will die in my way to it. Sufi Tale Something similar could say any monk or nun about their ultimate aspirations. ~Ryokan