How to Not Suffer Over Bad Thoughts

As good people, we wish for all our actions and thoughts to be good as well. But this often means that we try to force bad thoughts out of our minds, and this pressure just creates more bad thoughts. Then we end up hating ourselves. Ajahn Chah said that

An episode of the Ajahn Anan Podcast podcast, hosted by Ajahn Anan Akiñcano, titled "How to Not Suffer Over Bad Thoughts" was published on July 31, 2021 and runs 18 minutes.

July 31, 2021 ·18m · Ajahn Anan Podcast

0:00 / 0:00

Summary

As good people, we wish for all our actions and thoughts to be good as well. But this often means that we try to force bad thoughts out of our minds, and this pressure just creates more bad thoughts. Then we end up hating ourselves. Ajahn Chah said that the way to overcome this is to just know these thoughts for what they are—yet another phenomenon that arises and ceases and doesn’t belong to us. This way, the mind can have bad thoughts in it, and we don’t suffer. To join Ajahn Anan and the Wat Marp Jan Community online for daily chanting, meditation, and a Dhamma talk, you can email [email protected] for the link. Daily live sessions at 7pm - 9pm, Indochina Time (Bangkok, GMT+7).

Episode Description

As good people, we wish for all our actions and thoughts to be good as well. But this often means that we try to force bad thoughts out of our minds, and this pressure just creates more bad thoughts. Then we end up hating ourselves. Ajahn Chah said that the way to overcome this is to just know these thoughts for what they are—yet another phenomenon that arises and ceases and doesn’t belong to us. This way, the mind can have bad thoughts in it, and we don’t suffer. To join Ajahn Anan and the Wat Marp Jan Community online for daily chanting, meditation, and a Dhamma talk, you can email [email protected] for the link. Daily live sessions at 7pm - 9pm, Indochina Time (Bangkok, GMT+7).

Share this episode

Similar Episodes

Thanissara: Awakening at the Edge: Dharma as Refuge and Response in Times of Collapse.

Sep 13, 2025 ·40m

Thanissara: Dharma as Refuge and Response in Times of Collapse.

Sep 13, 2025 ·39m

Thanissara: Awakening at the Edge of Collapse: Dharma as Refuge and Response

Sep 10, 2025 ·41m

Thanissara: Holding the Lamp of Dharma in the Heart-Deepening Refuge

Apr 8, 2025 ·50m

Thanissara: From Lokésvara to Kuan Yin, historical and mythic. Guided meditation–Avalokitesvara Dharani

Apr 8, 2025 ·46m

Thanissara: Kuan Yin Tonglen Guided Meditation for the World

Apr 5, 2025 ·22m

Similar Podcasts

The Unbounded Mind Ajahn Anan Akiñcano Translated by Western monastics who have come to him in search of Dhamma, these reflections on practice by Venerable Ajahn Anan Akincaño provide practical meditation instructions as well as descriptions of the higher stages of the path. For more information, visit www.watmarpjan.org/en. Common Ground Meditation Center: Ajahn Jotipalo's most recent Dharma talks via dharmaseed.org Ajahn Jotipālo was born in 1965 in Indiana. He received a B.A. from Wabash College and worked for six years in technical sales. He became interested in Theravada Buddhism after sitting several Goenka retreats. While on staff at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, he met Ajahn Amaro and Ajahn Punnadhammo. After leaving IMS, he spent three months with Ajahn Punnadhammo at the Arrow River Forest Hermitage in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. Ajahn Jotipālo came to live at Abhayagiri in 1998 and subsequently spent two years training as an Anāgārika and Sāmaṇera. He ordained as a Bhikkhu with Ajahn Pasanno as preceptor on Ajahn Chah's birthday, June 17, 2000. Since that time, Ajahn Jotipālo has also stayed at Ajahn Chah-branch monasteries in Thailand, Canada, and New Zealand. He has returned to Abhayagiri for the vassa of 2012. Dharma Seed - dharmaseed.org: Ajahn Liem Thitadhammo's most recent Dharma talks dharmaseed.org Ajahn Liem Thitadhammo, a highly respected and revered Buddhist monk in the classical Thai Forest Tradition, is Ajahn Chah’s chosen successor. He was born in Sri Saket Province, in Northeastern Thailand, in 1941 and took full bhikkhu ordination at the age of 20. In 1969 he began training under Ajahn Chah, one of Thailand’s most beloved and renowned monks. Even today Ajahn Chah’s reputation and influence continues to grow and spread throughout the world.Living at Wat Nong Pah Pong (Ajahn Chah’s monastery) under Ajahn Chah’s direct guidance, Ajahn Liem soon became one of his closest disciples. In 1982 when Ajahn Chah became too ill to carry on with his duties, he entrusted Ajahn Liem with full authority and responsibility to run the monastery. Shortly thereafter, as Ajahn Chah’s illness progressed and he was no longer able to speak, the Sangha of Wat Nong Pah Pong appointed Ajahn Liem to take over the abbotship. He continues to fulfill that duty up to the present day and has maintained Thanissara's most recent Dharma talks (Spirit Rock Meditation Center) via dharmaseed.org Thanissara, from London, was a nun for 12 years in the tradition of Ajahn Chah and has taught internationally for over 30 years. She is co-founder of Dharmagiri Sacred Mountain Retreat, South Africa, Sacred Mountain Sangha, California, and Chattanooga Insight, Tennessee. She has an MA in Mindfulness Psychotherapy Practice from the Karuna Institute UK and is co-author of Listening to the Heart, A Contemplative Guide to Engaged Buddhism, author of Time To Stand Up, An Engaged Buddhist Manifesto for Our Earth, and several books of poetry. She is a member of the Teacher Council at Spirit Rock and co-guiding teacher of Sacred Mountain Sangha.

URL copied to clipboard!