"By this (asseveration of the)
truth may there be happiness"
- Buddha
Important Note: Sacca (Pali) is the same as Sajja (Thai) both meaning ‘truth’ and both pronounced ‘sat-cha’.
WAYS OF WORKING WITH A PERSONAL ‘SAJJA’
At Wat-Thamkrabok, after an individual has completed treatment when he or she is clean and sober, then dreams, memories and unwanted thoughts may start to surface, so specific Sajja-s may be beneficial for future support. These Personal Sajja-s are for rehabilitation and for the guidance of life.
Some Personal Sajjas are very demanding, such as “Honour your Mother and Father”. For many individuals, this means honouring the wounds of the past and challenges of the present.
Personal Sajjas help the individual to step out of perpetrator and/or victim mode and support the cultivation of healthy boundaries e.g.
“I will try to live harmlessly in harmony with the Five Precepts”.
“I will not look outside of myself for my happiness”.
“I will meditate every day for (at least) 10-minutes”.
“I will understand that ‘no one can do it for me, I must do it for myself'”.
“I will forgive myself for the mistakes of the past”.
“I will forgive myself for not understanding”.
“I will love myself just as I am right here, right now.”
“I will not be dependent on someone else”.
“I will not love anybody more than I love myself”.
“I will not let others make me suffer”.
“I will not worry about problems that have not yet happened”.
“I will not let problems of the past influence the present”
“I will not let anybody dominate me”.
“I will not depend on anybody else”.
“I will respect other religions”.
“I will not get angry for one month”.
“I will not judge others”.
“I will not look at the mistakes of others”.
BREAKING ‘SAJJA’
The guilt of breaking a ‘Sajja’ can be overwhelming so it is best to repair it as soon as possible. Better to have a repaired Sajja than no Sajja at all.
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 practised 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)