Sujin Boriharnwanaket ( according to AI)

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As an indication of how good Ai is at parsing the mass of information on the Internet here is a summary I asked for back in 2023 on chatgpt about Sujin .
I would say it is fairly accurate:

Sujin Boriharnwanaket, a prominent Thai Vipassana and Abhidhamma teacher born in 1927, is known for her insightful interpretations and teachings of Buddhist principles, particularly those related to the Abhidhamma and the practical application of the Dhamma in daily life. Her teachings emphasize several key aspects:

Understanding Reality: She stresses the importance of comprehending the true nature of reality, which in Buddhism is often referred to as “dhamma.” This includes understanding both the visible aspects of reality (such as color and form) and the cognitive processes (like seeing and knowing) that interpret these aspects. She emphasizes that these elements are distinct realities and should be recognized as such. In her teachings, she often discusses the concept of “rupa” (material form) and how it differs from cognitive processes in that it cannot experience anything itself​​.

Impermanence and Non-Self: A core theme in Sujin Boriharnwanaket’s teachings is the impermanence of all phenomena and the concept of non-self (anatta). She explains how every moment and every reality is fleeting and constantly changing, which is a fundamental understanding in Buddhist teachings. This realization is crucial for reducing attachment and clinging, as it helps in recognizing that what is often perceived as permanent or as having a self is, in fact, transient and devoid of an inherent self​​.

The Importance of Right Understanding: She places a strong emphasis on developing right understanding through hearing and considering the teachings (pariyatti). This process is seen as essential for the development of direct awareness and insight (patipatti). Sujin Boriharnwanaket suggests that without proper understanding, one cannot truly comprehend the nature of reality or the depth of the Buddha’s teachings. She underlines the importance of understanding the Dhamma not just as a theoretical concept but as a living reality, present in every moment of experience​​.

The Role of Conditions in Perception: She often discusses how our perceptions and experiences are conditioned by various factors, including past actions (kamma) and mental predispositions. Understanding this conditioning is vital for realizing the impersonal nature of experiences and the non-self characteristic of phenomena​​.

Integration of Teachings into Daily Life: Sujin Boriharnwanaket’s teachings are not just theoretical; they emphasize the practical application of the Dhamma in daily life. She encourages practitioners to observe and understand the Dhamma in every moment, recognizing that each experience, whether seeing, hearing, or thinking, is an opportunity to understand the true nature of reality and reduce attachment​​.

Sujin Boriharnwanaket has communicated her teachings through various mediums, including books and public talks, making her insights accessible to a wider audience​​​​. Her approach blends deep philosophical understanding with practical guidance, aiming to help practitioners realize the essence of the Buddha’s teachings in their own experience.

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Perhaps you can prompt Gemini Pro that it is sujin and then ask questions. You or her would be the best judges about accuracy.

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This is from grok. But i said to include sites like classicaltheravada.org so it must have put some extra look at that.

Sujin Boriharnwanaket, born in 1927 in Thailand, is a prominent lay teacher in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, renowned for her profound expositions on Abhidhamma and Vipassana meditation. Her teachings emphasize the direct understanding of ultimate realities (paramattha dhammas) as the path to liberation, drawing from the Buddha’s discourses to cultivate wisdom (panna) in daily life. She has influenced countless students worldwide through talks, books, and discussions, often highlighting that true insight arises from accumulated wholesome consciousness (kusala citta) rather than forced practices or desires.5c3c946c8838
At the core of Boriharnwanaket’s teachings is the distinction between realities and concepts. Realities are phenomena that can be directly experienced—such as consciousness (citta), mental factors (cetasika), and matter (rupa)—while concepts (pannatti) are mere designations without inherent existence, like “person” or “self.” She stresses the doctrine of no-self (anatta), teaching that all dhammas arise and cease due to conditions (paccaya), without any permanent entity. For instance, feelings like joy or anger are impersonal processes, not belonging to an "I."2fdef3 Enlightenment, she explains, comes from developing the ten perfections (paramis)—generosity, morality, renunciation, wisdom, energy, patience, truthfulness, determination, loving-kindness, and equanimity—through gradual accumulation, leading to the eradication of defilements.ffd5c1
vipassana.info
Boriharnwanaket advocates for “understanding now,” urging practitioners to study the Dhamma intellectually first, then apply it to present-moment experiences without ritualistic meditation retreats. She views samatha (calm) and vipassana (insight) as intertwined, arising naturally from right understanding, not from deliberate concentration efforts. Wholesome actions, such as giving or compassion, build the foundation for insight, but true progress depends on realizing the truth as taught by the Buddha, not on personal will.0319de6bee26 Taking refuge in the Triple Gem (Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha) means developing confidence in these realities, not mere recitation.668a64
Her approach has sparked discussions in Buddhist forums, with some appreciating its intellectual rigor and others debating its emphasis on study over formal practice.c506a5 Boriharnwanaket continues to hold Dhamma talks, as seen in recent 2024-2025 sessions, where she clarifies concepts like realization and the Buddha’s enlightenment.38798d
Many of her works are available in English through translations by Nina van Gorkom, a Dutch student who has collaborated closely with her. Key books include A Survey of Paramattha Dhammas (2000), which details ultimate realities; The Perfections Leading to Enlightenment (2007), exploring the paramis; Taking Refuge in Buddhism (1996), on building faith through understanding; and Realities and Concepts: The Buddha’s Explanation of the World (translated by van Gorkom).2d781b5398f3eb49fc Resources can be found on sites like classicaltheravada.org, which hosts discussions and translations inspired by her teachings, including threads on her 2024 talks and summaries of paccaya (conditions).5c9ac5 Other platforms include dhammawheel.com for community insights, dhammatalks.net for PDFs like The Perfections, and abhidhamma.org for van Gorkom’s related works.db0c95339993 These materials provide accessible entry points to her emphasis on Abhidhamma in everyday life.

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A summary of a book by sujin by chatgpt ( done in 20 seconds or so which would take me days to do as well)

A Survey of Paramattha Dhammas — One-Page Summary
This work presents a comprehensive exposition of paramattha dhammas — the ultimate realities recognized in Theravāda Buddhism: citta (consciousness), cetasika (mental factors), rūpa (material phenomena), and nibbāna (the unconditioned). Rather than treating experience as belonging to a self or person, the text explains phenomena as conditioned events arising and falling away moment by moment.
The opening chapters establish the distinction between conventional truth (people, objects, stories) and ultimate truth (mental and material processes). The Buddha’s teaching is framed as a training in developing understanding of present reality through direct awareness, not through concepts or speculation. Insight grows as these dhammas are seen as impermanent, unsatisfactory, and non-self.
A major portion of the book is devoted to citta, describing how consciousness arises in countless brief moments, each performing a distinct function such as seeing, hearing, thinking, or intending. Every citta arises together with accompanying cetasikas such as feeling, perception, intention, mindfulness, and wholesome or unwholesome tendencies. These processes operate according to conditions rather than personal control, gradually undermining the illusion of agency.
The section on concepts (paññatti) clarifies that while conceptual thought is necessary for communication and daily life, insight does not take concepts as its object. Instead, wisdom knows the presently-arising dhammas themselves. This distinction supports the book’s central emphasis on awareness in daily life rather than technique-based or forced meditation methods.
The treatment of rūpa explains material dhammas as physical qualities dependent on temperature, consciousness, nutrition, and kamma. Even body and environment are understood as conditioned aggregates rather than belonging to a self. This reinforces the Abhidhamma’s analytical perspective: what we ordinarily take as “the world” is only a flow of conditioned phenomena.
Chapters on samatha (calm) describe the development of collectedness through wholesome states that temporarily suppress defilements. However, the text consistently prioritizes vipassanā (insight), which penetrates the characteristics of dhammas as they arise in ordinary experience. Insight does not require special postures or withdrawal from daily life; rather, it depends on gradual understanding supported by hearing, reflection, and awareness.
The final sections present discussions and dialogues that apply these principles to practical questions: how awareness can arise in ordinary activities, how attachment and wrong view are recognized, and how understanding matures over time. The path is portrayed as natural, gradual, and conditioned, not controlled by effortful striving or personal will.
Overall, the book is both doctrinal and practical. It preserves the traditional Abhidhamma framework while directing the reader toward direct understanding of present realities. By analyzing experience into dhammas and revealing their conditioned nature, it aims to loosen identification with self and support the development of wisdom leading ultimately to liberation

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This is by Gemini pro and I asked it to use thai language materials.

Ajahn Sujin Boriharnwanaket is a renowned Thai lay teacher who has dedicated over 60 years to teaching the Abhidhamma and the development of right understanding (Samma Ditthi). Her teachings are characterized by a strict adherence to the Pāli Canon (Tipitaka) and its commentaries, focusing on the reality of the present moment.
​Based on Thai materials from the Dhamma Study and Support Foundation (มูลนิธิศึกษาและเผยแพร่พระพุทธศาสนา), here is a summary of her core teachings:
​1. Everything is Dhamma (ทุกอย่างที่มีจริงเป็นธรรมทั้งหมด)
​The fundamental starting point of Ajahn Sujin’s teaching is that “Dhamma” is not just found in books or temples, but refers to everything that is real at this very moment.
​Reality (Paramattha Dhamma): She emphasizes distinguishing between concepts (Paññatti)—like “person,” “table,” or “me”—and ultimate realities (Paramattha)—like seeing, hearing, hardness, or coldness.
​Experience vs. Object: Her teaching focuses on the distinction between the “mental phenomenon” that experiences (Nāma) and the “physical phenomenon” that does not experience anything (Rūpa).
​2. Right Understanding (การเริ่มด้วยความเข้าใจที่ถูกต้อง)
​Ajahn Sujin argues that most practitioners jump into “practice” (meditation) without a solid foundation of intellectual understanding (Pariyatti).
​No Self (Anattā): A central theme is that all phenomena arise due to conditions and are beyond anyone’s control. Therefore, there is no “self” who can direct or force mindfulness to happen.
​Listening is Key: She emphasizes “listening” (Suta-maya-paññā) as the most important first step. By repeatedly listening to the truth of realities, one accumulates the conditions for direct awareness to arise naturally.
​3. Mindfulness in Daily Life (สติปัฏฐานในชีวิตประจำวัน)
​Unlike many traditions that promote intensive retreats or specific sitting techniques, Ajahn Sujin teaches that the path is developed in the “ordinary” moments of life.
​No Special Posture: Awareness can arise while running, sitting, eating, or talking. Seeing is just seeing, regardless of what the body is doing.
​Natural Awareness: She discourages the attempt to “force” or “will” mindfulness into existence, as that very effort is often driven by subtle attachment (Lobha) to results.
​4. The Danger of Ignorance (ความไม่รู้น่ากลัวที่สุด)
​Ajahn Sujin often states that “death is not scary; what is scary is ignorance (Avijjā).” Her goal is to help students dismantle the long-accumulated delusion of “self” through the patient development of wisdom (Paññā)

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No, i was referring to asking it a question someone might ask or actually did ask in an unreleased talk , and seeing how well it would answer pretending to be sujin.
Summaries.. are just basic stuff.

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Great idea! I will try to think of a good question!

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I asked Grok plus to think about how Sujin would answer the question “how long it takes to become enlightened”?

Sujin Boriharnwanaket, drawing from her teachings on the Abhidhamma and the perfections (pāramī) leading to enlightenment, would emphasize that the path to enlightenment is an extremely gradual process requiring immense patience and accumulation over countless lifetimes. There is no fixed timeframe one can expect or predict, as it depends on the development of right understanding (paññā) and the ten perfections—such as generosity, morality, renunciation, wisdom, energy, patience, truthfulness, determination, loving-kindness, and equanimity—life after life in the cycle of birth and death (saṃsāra).c4e305 She would point out that even the Bodhisatta (the Buddha-to-be) accumulated these perfections for aeons before attaining full enlightenment, and disciples like Sāriputta required one incalculable period (asankhyeyya) and a hundred thousand aeons (kappa) of development.834607
The truth of the four noble truths cannot be realized immediately; understanding must grow very gradually over an endlessly long time, without haste or expectations, as defilements persist until fully eradicated.dc01f6 One should not be discouraged by the length of the journey or try to force results, as this reflects clinging to a self that wants quick awakening—instead, focus on awareness of realities as they arise in the present moment, developing kusala (wholesome qualities) naturally through listening to the Dhamma, wise consideration, and satipaṭṭhāna (mindfulness).7cff6d Enlightenment arises when conditions are mature, but the process demands perseverance through desirable and undesirable experiences, without deception or deviation.f3ab13 In essence, it takes as long as it takes—potentially an “endlessly long time”—and no one can hasten it by will alone.0cd6b1

I think it is not different from what she might say depending on the person asking.
A bit amazing, maybe even disturbing, that Ai can almost ‘sit in’ for a teacher :thinking:

Sometimes though she might ask the questioner what is appearing now: to get them to understand that questions like this are almost a distraction from learning what is real right in the moment.

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I asked Grok to summarize what I write:

Robert, often posting as “robertk” or “RobertK” on forums like Dhamma Wheel and Classical Theravada, is a proponent of classical Theravada Buddhism, heavily influenced by teachers such as Acharn Sujin Boriharnwanaket and Nina van Gorkom. His writings, including the book A Path Without Ownership and numerous forum contributions, emphasize a deep understanding of the Dhamma through study, reflection, and direct insight into realities as they arise in everyday life, rather than through formalized practices or rituals. He draws extensively from the Tipitaka, Abhidhamma, and ancient commentaries to illustrate that the path to enlightenment is fundamentally one without a controlling self or ownership, where all phenomena are conditioned, impermanent, and empty of any enduring entity.

Core Concepts: Anatta (No-Self) and Conditionality

At the heart of Robert’s explanation is anatta, the doctrine that there is no permanent self or soul behind experiences. He describes all phenomena—such as seeing, hearing, thinking, or feeling—as arising and ceasing instantaneously due to conditions, with no “manager” or owner directing them. For instance, he uses the puppet simile from the Saṁyutta Nikāya (5.9): “This puppet is not made by itself… It has come to be dependent on a cause; With the cause’s breakup it will cease,” to show that life consists of impersonal elements without a controller.e6da6f This aligns with paticcasamuppada (dependent origination), which he presents as the framework revealing how moments depend on multiple coinciding conditions, not a single cause or self. Quoting the Sammohavinodani, he notes that “there is no single nor multiple fruit of any kind from a single cause,” underscoring the complexity of conditionality that obscures the illusion of control.0cb66e

Robert stresses that wrong views, such as eternalism or annihilationism, stem from clinging to a sense of self, which can be dismantled through insight into the khandhas (aggregates) as alien and not “mine” or “I.” He references the Channa Sutta (Saṁyutta Nikāya 22.90) to illustrate how even advanced practitioners may struggle with this, but true comprehension leads to liberation by abandoning misconceptions.7f4c5c In forum discussions, he clarifies that conventional terms like “I,” “they,” or “person” are valid in everyday speech (vohāra), as used by the Buddha and arahants, but they point to impersonal processes in ultimate reality (paramattha). For example, from the Kathavatthu Commentary, he explains that phrases like “there is the person” are customary for referring to aggregates without implying a real entity.585f84

Vipassana (Insight) and the Role of Abhidhamma
>
Vipassana, for Robert, is not a prescribed technique but a natural arising of insight into the three characteristics (anicca, dukkha, anatta) through careful consideration of present realities. He teaches that pariyatti (theoretical study) conditions patipatti (direct understanding), leading to pativedha (penetration). There is no need for special settings or forced effort; insight develops in daily life by observing sense doors (ayatanas), such as a sound being mere sound without a “hearer.” He quotes the Satipatthana Sutta: “Here, O bhikkhus, a bhikkhu understands the consciousness with lust, as with lust,” to emphasize acceptance of any moment as it is.d0ca6b

Abhidhamma is portrayed as essential for precise analysis, describing ultimate realities (paramattha dhammas) like citta (consciousness), cetasika (mental factors), and rupa (materiality) as conditioned and momentary. Robert argues it was taught by the Buddha and supports vipassana by revealing life as it truly is, not abstract theory. In discussions, he defends its authenticity, noting its recitation at the First Council (Atthasālinī), and uses it to explain processes like vipaka (kammic results) arising through sense doors without error.5dd84c

The Path: Without Ownership, Effort, or Control

The “path without ownership” refers to enlightenment arising from conditions and accumulations (past merit and habits), not willful control or self-directed practice. Robert teaches that effort (viriya) is itself conditioned and arises with detachment, not forceful striving; as in the Saṁyutta Nikāya (1.1): "By not halting and by not straining I crossed the flood."4e05eb He rejects clinging to rules and rituals (silabbata-paramasa) as misguided, ignoring conditionality, and instead advocates bhavana (mental development) in ordinary moments, where dhammas are always arising.

Wisdom’s causes are impersonal, rooted in hearing and considering the Dhamma, leading to yoniso manasikara (wise attention). In forum threads, he asserts views are sankhara dhammas (conditioned formations), no more personal than other phenomena, and change through repeated exposure to right understanding, per Theravada axioms.fc622b Kamma operates without a self: beings are “heirs of their actions” (Majjhima Nikāya 135), but results like agreeable or disagreeable experiences depend on past kusala/akusala, not current preferences.3c226c

Momentariness is key, with phenomena arising and ceasing so rapidly that continuity is an illusion sustained by conditions like temperature (utu). This understanding fosters non-attachment, as "dhammas could be understood at any moment… no need to do something special."d5a8d7 Robert also details the Buddha’s explanation as structured in the Tipitaka, comprising 84,000 units and nine angas (divisions like suttas, gathas, and jātakas), to show the comprehensive, uniform nature of the Dhamma.cdd165

Overall, Robert’s approach promotes serenity through acceptance: “Seeing sees. Hearing hears. Thinking thinks. No one is making it happen,” encouraging a gradual path where insight eradicates defilements by revealing the truth of anatta and conditionality

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question to Sujin (by Gemini pro).

“How to develop metta?”:

  • Mettā is a Reality, Not Just Words: Many people believe they can develop mettā by reciting “May all beings be happy”. However, if your mind is filled with annoyance or attachment while you recite, true mettā cannot arise. You should find out whether there is true mettā at the moment you recite or if you are just thinking of words.
  • Know the Characteristic: To develop mettā, you must know its characteristic precisely. It is a feeling of friendship, closeness, and tender care for others. It is the opposite of anger (dosa) and is also different from selfish affection (lobha), which is unwholesome and leads to clinging.
  • Developing Mettā in Daily Life: You do not have to adopt a different mode of living to practice. Real development is done through your behavior in the different circumstances of daily life. For example, when you are in a complicated traffic situation, can you be considerate toward others?. If you can, then that is true mettā in action.

Conditions for Arising

  • The Support of Right Understanding (Paññā): Mettā will be more powerful and purer if it is developed together with the understanding that what we take for a person is only nāma (mental phenomena) and rūpa (physical phenomena). When you see that both you and others are ever-changing phenomena arising because of conditions, you will be less inclined to judge and more inclined to sympathize.
  • Recognize Impediments: Defilements like conceit, jealousy, and stinginess are impediments to mettā. By developing right understanding of your different mental states (cittas), you will begin to notice these defilements and realize that they are non-self (anattā).
  • Small Moments Matter: Do not think that a short moment of mettā is unimportant. Each moment of sincere kindness, like a friendly smile or helping someone in need, accumulates as a condition for mettā to arise more often.

Not really the way she talks but the ideas are reasonably accurate.