In Simple Terms

by Ajahn Chah

108 Dhamma Similes

Venerable Ajahn Chah

Genres: Buddhism

104 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2011

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

[Senti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful

[Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and potent.

"Sensual desire is something hard to escape from. It's no different from eating meat and getting a piece of meat stuck in you teeth. Boy, does it hurt! Even before you finish the meal, you have to take a toothpick to get it out. Once it's out you feel relieved for a while and you don't want to eat meat anymore. But when more meat comes your way, another piece get's stuck in your teeth. You take it out again and you feel relieved again. That's all there is to sensual desire: nothing more than a piece of meat stuck in your teeth. You feel agitated and unsettled, and then you get it out of your system in whatever the way. You don't understand what it's all about.
It's crazy."

[Paul Ransom · Rating 3 out of 5]

A volume of Buddhist similies is not something you can review like other books. Indeed, this is not really a book you would generally read through once in order (although, in fact, this is what I have just done). However, what I can say is that Ajahn Chah presents the seemingly esoteric precepts of Theravada and Thai Forest Buddhism in a remarkably 'everyday' form - hence the title. That said, this is not a beginner's guide or mistily spiritual tract. Yet, beneath the 'simple terms' are deeply beautiful ideas; many of which run counter to what we typically think of as common sense. Worth dipping into just for the play of it - regardless of what else you might otherwise 'get' out of it.

[ทิวัตถ์ ชุติภัทร์ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a gift from Mr. Rik Foong for giving a speech about my life in mid-june in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia! At first, I wasn't expecting this gift at all, once I received it and knew it was written by Ajahn Chah! I was surprised, because during my monkhood, he was one of the Monk that I impressed both his methods and the way he explained Buddhism in a simple way but yet remain exactly the same to Buddha's teachings! This book explain in simple ways as possible by using stories such as monkeys, water buffalo, groping for fish, the broken glass, and etc. These stories all linked to meditation and discernment!!!

[Melita · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it. In this book, A.Chah answers many questions in simile... in simple terms. Some of them are basic questions, some of them are quite a deep and need to be pondered even more. Some are so simple and clear that most of us missed it. When he made such a complex thing into a simple and plain, it really opens your mind!

[Ryan Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book - short, easy to digest similes that illustrate the Dhamma in the real world.

[Hendro Chen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply great. From what i read, the explanation is not done by ajahn Chah but from his students but they are equally thought provoking and provide comparibily good quality.