“By this truth may there be happiness” ~ Buddha
Sajja: The Truth of Intoxicating Inclinations & The Commitment to Awakening
In brief, you may not be completely free from your suffering until –
You see the truth of craving (or aversion) as a cause of suffering…
You are honest and truthful about your own cravings…
You resolve and commit to moving away from your suffering…
…this is Sajja.
To paraphrase the Buddha’s teaching on the Four Ennobling Truths (ariya-sacca) - There is addiction... There are causes of addiction... The suffering of addiction can be ended... There is a path leading to freedom from the suffering of addiction... ...this is Sajja.
From a Buddhist perspective, everybody is susceptible to suffering in one way or another, to a greater or lesser degree. But as addicts our suffering is amplified by our exaggerated craving for pleasure or relief; and our aversion to the pain of withdrawal. It is this craving and aversion together with a deluded understanding of reality that leads directly to our personal unhappiness.
As the saying goes, pain is inevitable – suffering is optional.
Sajja/Sacca*, the first and most important foundation of recovery or waking up, has three broadly distinct meanings:
[* ‘Sajja‘ and ‘Sacca‘ are both pronounced sat-cha. English spelling ‘Sajja’ from the Thai, or ‘Sacca’ from the Pali (or ‘Satya’ from the Sanskrit)]
Sajja as a statement of Truth
In this sense, the word Sajja (or Sacca) means the truth of the way things really are; including all earthly events such as birth, ageing, illness, and death, which are unavoidable by all human beings. Also, Sajja is knowledge of the Truth; for example, the Buddha taught the Four Ennobling Truths, the second of which can be understood by addicts as “the source of our suffering is our craving”.
If you look honestly at your own ‘intoxicating inclinations’, you will see the pain and harm they cause yourself and those around you. To stop or reduce this pain and harm we might try to understand and heal the causes of our addictions and compulsions.
Also, if we see clearly the truth of Karma, we see in essence that we are the inheritors of all our actions; good and bad, skilful and unskillful, wholesome and unwholesome. We don’t get away with anything.
Sajja as an Ethical practice
Sajja as a virtue (a quality of the body, speech, and mind) to be aspired to. The non-deception of self and others. In this sense Sajja means sincerity and honesty with no intention of concealment; a virtue to be cultivated.
The Buddha provided some simple but effective guidelines to move us away from suffering. These guidelines known as the Five Precepts (Sila) include commitments to honesty, truthfulness and sobriety.
These commitments to cultivate a safe, non-harming and fearless environment come internally from the individual – not from a commandment or rule ‘outside’. The Five Precepts can be seen as the original ‘Relapse Prevention Program’ benefiting both the individual and the community.
"etena saccena suvatthi hotu" - "by this truth may there be happiness"
Sajja as a Sacred Vow (Sacca-kiriya)
This is the meaning of the term ‘Sajja’ that is most commonly associated with the Thamkrabok Monastery in Thailand; that is ‘Sajja’ as a sacred promise or a vow. The Thamkrabok ‘Sajja’ maybe ‘sacred’ but maybe it is more logical than mystical. It is a promise to ourselves – with the Natural Elements as our witness – not to indulge in our addictive behaviours.
"By this (asseveration of the)
truth may there be happiness"
- Buddha
What makes the ‘Sajja’ magical, in the sense of the sacred, is that it really does work if you keep it! And that is a blessing, or the natural result of a skilful choice and action, as best fits your personal belief system.
It must be said that the ‘Sajja’ is not just a promise, it is a solid commitment to change. You do not have to travel halfway around the world to vomit in an open drain – going cold-turkey in a hot climate – to commit to ‘Sajja’ and recovery. However, if you have got the time and the money then I can thoroughly recommend it as an unrepeatable experience!
Having seen the truth of our craving and the results of our behaviour, we vow to break those negative habits in skilful ways that move us away from the avoidable suffering of addiction.
Sajja in all of its meanings, including being a surrender to the way things really are, is the first foundation of recovery or waking up. It is the starting point of healing but it can also be the endpoint of this approach. I know and have known many people who regarded the Sajja vow to stop using their drug of choice as their total recovery plan. While it is true that this approach has worked for some, it is also true that it has not worked or lasted for many. Some people relapse – some people die.
It is my experience that the more layers of practice that you include in your life, the more assured you can be of a relaxed, comfortable and happy recovery.
At this point, it is important to emphasize again, that you do not have to be a Buddhist to practice ‘Sajja’, Sila or any of these meditation practices.
To further paraphrase the Buddha’s teaching on the Four Ennobling Truths –
There is unhappiness…
There are conditions leading to unhappiness…
There is happiness…
There are conditions leading to happiness…
…this is Sajja.
Related Resources:
Podcast Link : ‘Sajja’- A Practice for Transformation a talk by Vince Cullen
Webpage: Truth ‘Sajja’ – the First Step on the Path
Webpage: Full ‘Sajja’ (Sacca-kiriya)
Webpage : Personal ‘Sajja’ (Sacca-kiriya)
Webpage : Sajja and Sila : Foundations of Awakening
Webpage : Notes on Sajja : As practiced at Thamkrabok Monastery
Audio Link : Truthfulness and Resolve a talk by Andrea Fella (53-minutes)
Topics for contemplation & investigation : Truth (Sajja)
The following online talks are based on the Foundations of Waking Up:
- Truth, Karma and Commitment to Awakening (Sajja / Sacca)
- Generosity in Thoughts, Words and Actions (Dana)
- Living in Harmony: Ethics-Harmlessness-Blamelessness (Sila)
- Self-love, Self-compassion, Self-appreciation & Self-balance (Bramha-Viharas)
- Transgression & Forgiveness (Khama)
- Mindfulness & Meditation (Sati & Bhavana)
- Fellowship & Good Friends (Kalyana-Mitatta)
- OK – Where Do I Go Now? (Tales from the bumpy road… a summary of the journey so far)
Please note that this page and the linked pages below are a ‘work in progress’ so please check back here from time-to-time for updates.