A Still Forest Pool: The Insight Meditation of Achaan Chah

by Ajahn Chah, Jack Kornfield, Ajahn Chah

Buddhist master Achaan Chah spent years meditating in a forest monastery of Thailand. This remarkable book reflects his simple and powerful message as well as the quiet, joyful Buddhist practice of dhudanga, or "everyday mindfulness," with profound insights for the West.

Genres: Buddhism, Meditation, Spirituality, Religion, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Self Help

216 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Ajahn Chah was born in 1918 in a village located in the north-eastern part of Thailand. He became a novice at a young age and recieved higher ordination at the age of twenty. He followed the austere Forest Tradition for years, living in forests and begging for almsfood as he wandered about on mendicant pilgrimage.

He practised meditation under a number of masters, among whom was Ajahn Mun, a highly respected and accomplished meditation teacher of the time. Ajahn Mun had an indelible influence on Ajahn Chah, giving his meditation practice the direction and clarity that it lacked. Ajahn Chah later became an accomplished meditation teacher in his own right, sharing his realization of the Dhamma with those who sought it. The essence of his teaching was rather simple: be mindful, don't hang on to anything, let go and surrender to the way things are.

Ajahn Chah passed away in peace after a long bout of illness on January 16, 1992, at his home monastery, Wat Pah Pong, in Ubon Ratchatani.

Reviews

[Steve Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book, written by a simple man with no pretences and great spiritual understanding of both the human condition and the path of Buddhist practice. This little book is really important to me, I use it often when I get wound up in my shit to find the true essence of what it's all about. It always allows me to le go of taking myself too seriously.

[Phillip Moffitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ajahn Chah was one of the great insight meditation teachers of the last century. This book is a collection of short teachings that reflect his emphasis on being mindful in daily life as the way to attain liberation. He describes the essence of vipassana, concentration practice, walking meditation practice, and much more. His teachings are like nuggets that you can quickly consume and then chew on for days.

[AP Dwivedi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glad my first exposure to what Dan Ingram would call “yin” insight meditation was such a rich experience. It took me too long to come back around to another book that might add to my investigative toolkit, but as a result of that I was able to develop some of my own intuitively directed skills first. Indeed the book even advocates for some version of that process while giving perspective-setting advice on how to approach meditation. A helpful way to validate the sort of intuitive skill development that happens when you let go and explore.

At the same time it speaks so broadly to meditation scenarios while using nonspecific language that it seems more intended to be an *introduction* to a yin approach (as opposed to Ingram’s *field guide* to a yang approach). It also addresses skill and perspective development by emphasizing the outcomes you want to arrive at, rather than how you might get there. And for better or worse I’m currently at a place where I’m trying to further my skill development without a personal teacher. Likewise I’m really looking for something closer to a field manual with pointed exercises and more technical advice. Nevertheless I can’t fault the book for being excellent at what it’s intending to be

[Tovin Seven · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

Một số ghi ý rất hay đối với mình

- Thực hành, phải thực hành. Đọc và hiểu sách vở chỉ là bước đầu.
- Các bước đi trong sách vở có thể phù hợp với người này, người kia, nhưng chưa chắc đã phù hợp với bạn
- Tác giả là người dạy thực hành chứ không phải lý thuyết, có cảm giác là những "hành giả" thì khả năng viết lách, truyền đạt bằng con chữ không thể dễ tiếp cận bằng các "học giả" được
- Tất cả đều là pháp.
- Người ta khen mình, chê mình, việc tốt, việc xấu đều có những giá trị và bài học trong đó. Tốt thì ta cứ thế phát huy, xấu thì phải biết mà tránh. Người khác nói đúng, nhận xét đúng về mình thì phải nghe, đó là rất quý giá. Người ta nói sai về mình thì hãy cứ bỏ qua, đừng dính mắc vào đó mà sinh lòng sân giận.
- Như mọi khi, tác giả theo Nam Truyền, cứ lặp đi lặp lại tam pháp ấn theo Nam truyền: Vô Thường, Khổ, Vô Ngã
- Phần hỏi đáp ở cuối sách đúng là siêu giá trị, hơn tất thảy các đoạn từ đầu sách

Tổng quan, mình cho rằng cuốn này tác giả viết/truyền đạt "tốt" hơn nhiều so với cuốn Suối Nguồn Tâm Linh (Food for the Heart: The Collected Teachings of Ajahn Chah)

[Gregg Bell · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are good things in just about every book like this. There are good things in this book.

But it's not really much of a book. Just a grouping of Achaan Chah's insights on life (okay, a slight pun) via insight meditation.

What can one say? Is it worth reading?

Answer: for nuggets.

You decide:

Nugget #1) To try to run away from suffering is actually to run toward it. Investigate suffering, see its causes, and put an end to them right now, rather than merely dealing with their effects.

Nugget #2) It's as though you are walking down a road. Periodically you will run into obstacles. When you meet defilements, just see them and overcome them by letting them go. Don't think about the obstacles you've already passed; don't worry about those you have not yet seen. Stick to the present. Don't be concerned about the length of the road or the destination. Everything is changing. Whatever you pass, don't cling to it. Eventually the mind will reach its natural balance where practice is automatic. All things will come and go of themselves.

And that's really the whole notion of insight meditation: everything around us is constantly changing, including us. Who you were on that day when you got a raise is different than the person the next day who gets a flat tire on the way to work. And who you were fifteen minutes ago when no major life incident occurred in the interim is nonetheless different as well.

Life is impermanent. It passes. We're impermanent. We pass. Understand this and simply enjoy watching life go by.

[Manesha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Still Forest Pool is an incredibly inspiring book. The simplicity of the monk's words resonated with me everytime I read one of his entries. I would have to say that this book is not meant to be read in one sitting, it is more enjoyable if you read one journal entry every few days.

the message itself is very clear..live mindfully. But understanding what that word means to monks living in a forest is simple. My favourite section was the last one where he has a question answer section.

I highly recommend this book to practicing meditators. This is a book I see myself rereading for many years.

[Harry · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a Buddhist temple in the village where I live and the monks very kindly invited the villagers to a meal a few months ago. On leaving we were all presented with this book as a gift. It's a treatise on meditation and the path to mindfulness. It's easily read and contains some really good advise without preaching too much. Because it is split into so many small chapters it is a book that can be dipped into over and over again.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm under the conceptual impression that this book serves as a general reminder.

It feels like it's lacking some information that a true seeker needs to know before reading it.

Reading Ajahn Chah's - same teacher - all inclusive book "Food for the Heart" is a much benificial and time saving way to begin. It really is a tremendous and one-only book to read to establish a hard ground for building everyday practice and training.

Nevertheless, this book is simple and serves the purpose it perhaps was published for.

[Simeon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful little book, albeit a bit hard to read for a layperson. The text is a collection of translations of lessons, talks or stories about Ajaah Chah that reflect his teachings. What made it hard for me to read was that it was direct and straight to the core of the teachngs. There's no runinng around, long-winded introductions, sugarcoating and unnecessary fluff usually added to books like this one to appeal to Western audiences. However, once I was able to see that and let myself soak in the words, reading the book became meditation in itself. The teachings come straight at you and there's no hiding. It'a brilliant book, from which I learned more than I have from reading several books on the topic.

My biggest takeaway is that one need not go to a monastery or seclude themselves from life to pratice fully or "properly". Doing any of these might actually make it harder to practice because we're so used to to the Western, "domestic" life that excising ourselves from it may actually be shocking and unecessariliy stressful. All you need to practice you have wherever you are with you. You only need to watch. Just this much.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that is so simple yet so true that I would return to time and again.

Jack Konfield and Paul Breiter captured Achan Chah's teachings in this concise edition, mostly keeping to Achan Chah's words. It is direct and cuts through all the concepts of dhamma teachings.

You are reminded to be aware of your mind and body, because they are your teachers. Through direct experience, one removes doubt and able to understand that everything that is of the world (including our bodies and our thoughts) are aggregated and impermanent. So, it is important to see the truth of things as they are, shifting, impermanent - including our thoughts and consciousness.

And to let go. Including likes or dislikes. Not to cling on to things - our bodies, thoughts, concepts, pleasure or hate, even peace or the dhamma. Just see and accept things as they are. Take the middle and equanimous path, not the extremes. Walk evenly over the uneven - to liberation.

The path of the Buddha.

3 March 2024 update: I have just done a quick re-read of this book. So wonderful. So many gems. I saw some points now in better light, because perhaps I have a little bit more understanding than when I first read it. And also a little more experience in the way my mind works. This will be one of my favourite books for re-reading time and again.

[Taka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple and refreshing--

I came across Ajahn Chah's teaching indirectly through a co-meditator at my last 10-day Goenka retreat. "Shut up, do nothing, and observe," he said to me on the last day and that particular mindset was exactly right for me at that moment as one of the big takeaways of the retreat was that I'd been trying too hard. "Do nothing"—yes, if I could meditate by doing nothing, what more could I want? And so I immediately bought this book and it was as refreshing as a still forest pool indeed. Ajahn Chah in this book keeps stressing the importance of being natural and not trying too hard (because that's a form of craving). More than his refreshing simplicity, though, I loved his sheer and vast openness—how he allowed his students to go study meditation under different teachers outside his tradition—because he believed all pointed back to the same destination, as long as they helped them practice non-attachment—and how he allowed his Christian students to celebrate Christmas. Though Goenka's Vipassana will remain my main meditation practice for now, I'm already contemplating when to attend an Ajhan Chah retreat.

Quotes:
"Do not try to become anything. Do not make yourself into anything. Do not be a meditator. Do not become enlightened. When you sit, let it be. When you walk, let it be. Grasp at nothing. Resist nothing. "(from "The Simple Path")

When asked, "Why do you practice? How do you practice? What is the result of your practice?" he was said to have replied, "Why do you eat? How do you eat? How do you feel after you have eaten well?" Then he laughed (46)

"Don't imitate the way others practice or compare yourself to them, Achaan Chah cautions; just let them be. It is hard enought o watch your own mind, so why add the burden of judging others." (50)

The Buddha said, "Refrain from what is bad, do good, and purify the heart." (55)

Moderation in eating. It is easy to fast, more difficult to eat little or in moderation as a meditation. Instead of frequent fasting, learn to eat with mindfulness and sensitivity to your needs, learn to distinguish needs from desires. (62)

"As I see it, the mind is like a single point, the center of the universe, and mental states are like visitors who come to stay at this point for short or long periods of time. Get to know these visitors well. Become familiar with the vivid pictures they paint, the alluring stories they tell, to entice you to follow them. But do not give up your seat—it is the only chair around. If you continue to occupy it unceasingly, greeting each guest as it comes, firmly establishing yourself in awareness, transforming your mind into the one who knows, the one who is awake, the visitors will eventually stop coming back" (83-84)

"We tend to complicate our meditation. For example, when we sit, we may determine, 'Yes, I'm really going to do it this time.' But that is not the right attitude; nothing will be accomplished that day. Such grasping is natural at first. Some nights, when I would start to sit, I would think, 'OK, tonight I won't get up from my seat until 1:00 AM, at the earliest.' But before long, my mind would start to kick and rebel until I felt that I would die. What is the point in that?
"When you are sitting properly, there is no need to measure or compel. There is no goal, no point to attain. Whether you sit until 7:00 or 8:00 or 9:00PM, never mind. Just keep sitting without concern. Do not force yourself. Do not be compulsive. Do not compmand your heart to do things for certain, for this command will make things all the less certain. Let your mind be at ease, let your breath be even, normal, not short or long or any special way. Let your body be comfortable. Practice steadily and continuously. Desire will ask you, 'How late will we go? How long will we practice?' Just shout at it, "Hey, don't bother me!' Keep quelling it, because it is only defilement coming to disturb you. Just say, 'If I want to stop early or late, it's not wrong; if I want to sit all night, who am I hurting? Why do you come and disturb me?' Cut off desire, and keep sitting in your own way. Let your heart be at ease, and you will become tranquil, free from the power of grasping
"Some people sit in front of a lighted incense stick and vow to sit until it has burned down. Then they keep peeking to see how far it has burned, constantly concerned with the time. 'Is it over yet?' they ask. Or they vow to push beyond or die, and then feel terribly guilty when they stop only one hour later. These people are controlled by desire.
"Do not pay attention to the time. Just maintain your practice at a steady pace, letting it progress gradually. You do not need to make vows. Just keep striving to train yourself, just do your practice and let the mind become calm of itself. Eventually, you will find that you can sit a long time at your ease, practicing correctly." (95-96)

"Achaan Chah later explained that Dharma teaching must flow unprepared from the heart and from inner experience. 'Sit, close the eyes, and step out of the way,' he said. 'Let the Dharma speak itself.'" (135)

"Q: I have been extremely careful to practice sense restraint. I always keep my eyes lowered and am mindful of every little action I do. When eating, for example, I take a long time and try to see each step—chewing, tasting, swallowing, and so on—and I take each step deliberately and carefully. Am I practicing properly? A: Sense restraint is proper practice. We should be mindful of it throughout the day. But don't overdo it. Walk, eat, and act naturally, and then develop natural mindfulness of what is going on within yourself. To force your meditation or force yourself into awkward patterns is another form of craving. Patience and endurance are necessary. If you act naturally and are mindful, wisdom will come naturally" (160)

If all is impermanent, unsatisfactory, and selfless, then what is the point of existence?... "Then," some people may ask, "what is the meaning of life? Why are we born?" I cannot tell you. Why do you eat? You eat so that you do not have to eat anymore. You are born so that you will not have to be born again. (176)

[Cyberpayanee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A small book of huge help for understanding meditation. Simple words convey profound and practical points. A must read for those interested in spirituality. The editing could have been better. It is not clear whether Acchan Cha is saying or it is a paraphrase of editors. But this doesnt diminish the value.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book. The teachings are simple, yet uncompromising. The emphasis is very much on practise rather than theory and the book is full of useful stories and metaphors designed to guide the reader to reaach the inner peace of non-attachment

[Katie Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this but am not sure I'd recommend it unless, like me, you want to learn more about your teacher's teacher. Not a beginner/basics kind of read. More Zen than Insight/Vipassana (which I like but reading Zen writing in the morning is too much for my neurodivergent brain lol).

[Totochelamouche · Rating 4 out of 5]

One evening after a talk he received a question from a dignified English lady who had spent many years studying the complex cybernetics of the mind according to the eighty-nine classes of consciousness in the Buddhist abhidharma psychology texts.

External dangers are not as frightening as the dangers within: What are the elements of this inner danger?
Wind. Things come at the senses, causing compulsion, lust, anger, and ignorance to arise, destroying what is good in us. Normally, we see the wind only as that which blows the leaves about, not seeing the wind of our senses, which, unwatched, can cause the storms of desire.
Fire. Our temple may never have been struck by fire, but greed, hatred, and delusion burn us constantly. Lust and aversion cause us to speak and do wrong; delusion leads us to see good as bad, bad as good, the ugly as beautiful, the valueless as valuable. But one who does not meditate does not see this and is overcome by these fires.
Water. Here the danger is the flood of defilement in our hearts submerging our true nature.
Thieves. The real thieves do not exist outside us. Our monastery has seen thieves only once in twenty years, but inwardly the five gangs of attachment, the aggregates, are ever robbing, beating, and destroying us. What are these five aggregates?
1. Body. It is a prey to illness and pain; when it does not accord with our wishes, we have grief and sorrow. Not understanding the natural aging and decay of the body, we suffer. We feel attraction or repulsion toward the bodies of others and are robbed of true peace.
2. Feelings. When pain and pleasure arise, we forget that they are impermanent, suffering, not self; we identify with our emotions and are thus tortured by our wrong understanding.
3. Memories and perceptions. Identifying with what we recognize and remember gives rise to greed, hatred, and delusion. Our wrong understanding becomes habitual, stored in the subconscious.
4. Volitions and other elements of mind. Not understanding the nature of mental states, we react, and thoughts and feelings, likes and dislikes, happiness and sorrow arise. Forgetting that they are impermanent, suffering, and selfless, we cling to them.
5. Consciousness. We grasp that which knows the other aggregates. We think, "I know, I am, I feel," and are bound by this illusion of self, of separation.

The Buddha taught that those who wish to know must realize the truth for themselves. Then it makes no difference whether others criticize or praise you - whatever they say, you will be undisturbed. If a person has no trust in himself, when someone calls him bad, he will feel he is bad accordingly. What a waste of time! If people call you bad, just examine yourself. If they are not correct, just ignore them; if they are correct, learn from them. In either case, why get angry?

At times, we may feel that thinking is suffering, like a thief robbing us of the present. What can we do to stop it? In the day, it is light; at night, it is dark. Is this itself suffering? Only if we compare the way things are now with other situations we have known and wish it were otherwise. Ultimately things are just as they are - only our comparisons cause us to suffer.

You see this mind at work - do you consider it to be you or yours? "I don't know if it's me or mine," you answer, "but it's certainly out of control." It is just like a monkey jumping about senselessly. It goes upstairs, gets bored, runs back downstairs, gets tired of that, goes to a movie, gets bored again, has good food or poor food, gets bored with that too. Its behavior is driven not by dispassion but by different forms of aversion and fear.

You have to learn control. Stop caring for the monkey - care for the truth of life instead. See the real nature of the mind: impermanent, unsatisfactory, empty. Learn to be its master; chain it down if you must. Do not just follow it, let it wear itself out and die.

Why is sugar sweet and water tasteless? It is just their nature. So too with thinking and stillness, pain and pleasure - it is wrong understanding to want thinking to cease. Sometimes there is thought, sometimes stillness. We must see that both are by nature impermanent, unsatisfactory, not a cause for lasting happiness. But if we continue to worry and think further, "I am suffering, I want to stop thinking," this wrong understanding only complicates things.

Just as the presence of a thief prevents negligence with our possessions, so the reminder of the hindrances should prevent negligence in our concentration.

Daily life at Wat Ba Pong, as at most forest monasteries, begins at 3:00 A.M. with group chanting and meditation until just before dawn. At dawn monks walk barefoot two to eight miles to collect alms food at various nearby villages.

Good meditation temples are increasingly hard to find. For most monks, Buddhism is a lot of study without real practice. Everywhere, there is more interest in cutting down forests and building new temples than in developing the mind. In earlier times, this was not the case - meditation teachers lived with nature and did not try to build anything. Now, offering buildings is the religious activity that most interests lay people. So be it. But we must know the purpose of having a monastery. The monk's own practice is 80 to 90 percent of his job, and the remainder of his time can be spent benefiting the public. Even then, those who teach the public should be ones who are in control of themselves and thus capable of helping others, not caught up with their own burdens.

The practice here is not really that difficult, although some people do not like to do it. In the early days of Wat Ba Pong, there was no electricity, no large meeting hall or dining room. Now that we have them, we have to take care of them; conveniences always give rise to complications.

If you do not give up your likes and dislikes, you are not really making an effort. Not to let go means you seek peace where there is none.

Achaan Chah has been unusually tolerant of the comings and goings of his Western disciples. Traditionally, a new forest monk will spend at least five rain retreats with his first teacher before beginning his ascetic wanderings. Achaan Chah stresses discipline as a major part of his practice - working precisely and carefully with the monks' rules and learning to surrender to the monastic style and to the way of the community. But somehow Western monks, like favored children, have been allowed more than the traditional space to travel in order to visit other teachers. Usually when someone does leave, there is no fuss and not much memory.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anything by Ajahn Chah is amazing. This was a series of lectures on a variety of topics. Great to read one at a time each day.

From the AI:

A Still Forest Pool by Ajahn Chah is a simple, direct, and quietly profound introduction to his teachings. His wisdom is practical and free of pretension, making this book an accessible guide to mindfulness, impermanence, and letting go.

What I appreciated most is how down-to-earth Chah’s approach is—his teachings don’t get lost in philosophy but instead offer real, usable insights for daily life. The stories and metaphors he shares stick with you, giving the book a timeless quality.

While some of the ideas may feel familiar if you’ve read other Buddhist works, the clarity and warmth of Chah’s voice make this one worth reading. A great book to pick up and return to in small doses.

[Kanwarpal Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still forest pool

This is a fantastic book soulful book, written by a simple man with no pretences and great spiritual understanding of both the human condition and the path of Buddhist practice, the message is given by author and the person talked about is calm and very clear.. to live mindfully , this book is easily read and contains some best advices
without preaching too much.
Ajahn chah, was one of the great insight meditation teacher of the last century. This book is a collection of short teachings that reflect his emphasis on being mindful in daily life as the way to attain liberation . Pace of the novel is slow, as genre is spirituality and teachings and it must be read slowly because to understand the teaching as how the writer try to get us enveloped our interest towards spirituality to attain liberation.

have a soulful reading experience

[Kevin McAvoy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why do I find Achaan Chah distasteful? Is it because he insults the very people who seek his guidance? Three times he tells of wisdom seekers asking specific questions and he fobs them off with an allegory which basically declares them to be idiots. The whole book also contained about 65% blank space. A common way to "fill-out" a short essay into a thin book. Money grabbing? I just don't believe he is a worthy teacher. His lessons were not "his" lessons. He regurgitates Thich Nhat Hanh but hasn't the dignity of him.

[Phil Calandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

The central theme of "A Still Forest Pool The Insight Meditation of A Chaan Chah" is that attachment is the cause to all human suffering and that the understanding of the impermanent nature of life. The book is divided into a number of discussions on Buddhist teachings of non-attachment and the importance of being mindful in everyday life as the way to "liberation". I would highly recommend this book.

[Nikolas Alixopulos · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best contemporary books on the Dharma I have read. Achan Chah speaks with such genuine awareness that his view appears truly non-dual, not atheistic (like a lot of Western Buddhists) but non-theistic as the Buddha clearly was. A wise being with a true appreciation for humanity. Great read.

[C MASON · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book I’ve read by Pra Ajahn Chah. He has a unique way of teaching. He highlighted what’s important and what’s not. He brings humour and humanity into his teachings that captivated the reader and pupil.
I will be reading at least two more books from this great teacher.

[Lukie]

Much here for my stubborn, lazy western mind to try to grasp. . . . and let go. What remains of particular mystery to me is how the austere lifestyle of the forest monks can ever lead to joy or humor but Ajahn Chah definitely has a sense of humor.

[Andy Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very inspiring book presented in accessible bite-sized pieces. I read a few every day, which made me eager to meditate and work with mindfulness throughout the day. A nice gift in this nutty world.

[Matt Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book to pair with practice, especially Vipassana meditation. It has insights and reminders of what the main focuses/point of practice is. Lots of analogies to help the reader to understand, would recommend if you are already deep in practice.

[Marc Mannheimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The monk's teachings are refreshing and eye opening. Only problem in some places was telling when Achaan Chah was speaking and when the translators were narrating. This was not always done seamlessly.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent but one never really can finish this book as it stays and starts and the ease of reading brings me back time and again with new insights each time.

[Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little book is a classic for a reason. Short chapters packed with wisdom and advice. A book that will live on my nightstand for a long time.

[Benjamin Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful Dharmic Stories and a Wonderfully witty book

[Andrew Konitzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book, I enjoyed the format.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent insight from a fantastic teacher. This is not an introduction to Buddhism but rather a collection of talks to inspire and instill wisdom. I am sure to read this again multiple times.