Talk about loving-kindness, merit and belief in Thai. This fourth part of Buddhism moves from แผ่เมตตา (radiating loving-kindness) and เจริญสติ (cultivating mindfulness) to the anumodana สาธุ (sathu), making บุญ (merit), and the beliefs woven through Thai life — ผี (spirits), เทวดา (deities), dedicating merit to เจ้ากรรมนายเวร (karmic creditors) — plus พระไตรปิฎก (the Tipitaka) and the teachings of หลวงพ่อชา (Ajahn Chah). All 13 sentences come with native-speed audio, English translations and word-by-word notes, so the vocabulary of belief sinks in by ear.
Meditation, mindfulness & the trained mind
13 sentences · Click each sentence to reveal Thai, English, and notes
Monks teach us to radiate loving-kindness to all beings — small or large, all the same.
พระ=monksสอนให้=teach us toเรา=(us)แผ่เมตตา=radiate loving-kindnessแก่=toสรรพสัตว์=all beingsไม่ว่าจะ=no matterตัวเล็ก=smallหรือ=orตัวใหญ่=largeก็=(still)เท่ากัน=the sameค่ะ=polite(f)
แผ่เมตตา is radiating goodwill outward to all beings without exception. ไม่ว่าจะ…ก็ is the 'no matter…still' frame; เมตตา wishes every creature well equally.
Having loving-kindness and compassion for others is the heart of Buddhist teaching.
การมี=havingเมตตา=loving-kindnessและ=andกรุณา=compassionต่อผู้อื่น=for othersคือ=isหัวใจ=the heartของคำสอน=of the teachingทางพุทธ=Buddhistครับ=polite(m)
เมตตา (loving-kindness) and กรุณา (compassion) are the first two of the four 'sublime abidings' (พรหมวิหาร), the Buddhist heart-qualities cultivated toward all beings.
เจริญสติ ('developing mindfulness') is offered here as practical anger-management — noticing irritation as it arises gives space not to be ruled by it.
'สาธุ' (Pali sādhu, 'well said / so be it') is spoken to rejoice in merit, with palms pressed together (พนมมือ) — the gesture of respect that doubles as 'amen'.
'ทำใจ' — literally 'make the heart [ready]' — means to accept and come to terms with something. Paired with 'ไม่แน่นอน' (nothing is certain), it's everyday folk-Dhamma comfort.
The old folk believe that if the mind has mindfulness and keeps the precepts, ghosts won't dare come and disturb it.
คนโบราณ=the old folkเชื่อว่า=believeถ้า=ifใจ=the mindมีสติ=is mindfulและ=andมีศีล=keeps the preceptsผี=ghostsก็=(then)ไม่กล้า=won't dareเข้ามา=comeรบกวน=disturbค่ะ=polite(f)
Thai folk belief holds that virtue and a settled, mindful mind protect a person from ผี (ghosts/spirits) — a worldview that sits comfortably alongside Buddhist practice, especially in the forest tradition.
Thais believe the devas watch over those who do good and keep the precepts.
คนไทย=Thaisเชื่อว่า=believeเทวดา=devasคอย=watch overปกปักรักษา=and protectคน=thoseที่ทำความดี=who do goodและ=andรักษาศีล=keep the preceptsครับ=polite(m)
เทวดา (devas) are celestial beings who, in Thai belief, look kindly on and protect the virtuous — and are often invited to 'rejoice' in merit that's been made.
When pouring the water libation, Thais often dedicate merit to their own karmic creditors too.
เวลา=whenกรวดน้ำ=pouring the libationคนไทย=Thaisมัก=oftenอุทิศบุญ=dedicate meritให้=toเจ้ากรรมนายเวร=their karmic creditorsของตัวเอง=their ownด้วย=as wellค่ะ=polite(f)
เจ้ากรรมนายเวร are 'karmic creditors' — beings one has wronged in this or past lives. Dedicating merit to them is believed to settle karmic debts and ease misfortune.
The Buddha's teachings are collected in the Tipitaka, the principal scripture of Buddhists.
คำสอน=the teachingsของพระพุทธเจ้า=of the Buddhaถูก=wereรวบรวม=collectedไว้=(kept)ในพระไตรปิฎก=in the Tipitakaซึ่ง=whichเป็น=isคัมภีร์หลัก=the main scriptureของชาวพุทธ=of Buddhistsค่ะ=polite(f)
The พระไตรปิฎก (Tipiṭaka, 'three baskets') is the Pāli Canon — discipline, discourses and higher teachings — Theravāda Buddhism's core scripture. ถูก…ไว้ is a neutral passive, 'were collected'.
11ได้บุญมากที่สุด…
หลายคนสงสัยว่า ทำบุญแบบไหนถึงจะได้บุญมากที่สุดค่ะ
Many wonder what kind of merit-making earns the most merit.
หลายคน=manyสงสัยว่า=wonderทำบุญ=merit-makingแบบไหน=what kindถึงจะ=only then doesได้บุญ=meritมากที่สุด=the mostค่ะ=polite(f)
A genuinely common question. Teachers usually answer that intention and the worthiness of the recipient matter more than the size of the gift.
Luang Por Chah taught: 'If it isn't good, let it die. If it doesn't die, make it good.'
หลวงพ่อชา=Luang Por Chahสอนว่า=taughtไม่ดี=if it's not goodก็=thenให้มันตาย=let it dieถ้า=ifไม่ตาย=it doesn't dieก็=thenให้มันดี=make it good
Luang Por Chah (Ajahn Chah, 1918–1992) was the great forest master whose monasteries spread the tradition to the West. This pithy saying is about letting go of the outcome and simply keeping on practising rightly.
13ฟากตาย…
หลวงพ่อชาเคยกล่าวว่า นิพพานอยู่ฟากตาย
Luang Por Chah once said: 'Nibbana lies on the shores of death.'
หลวงพ่อชา=Luang Por Chahเคย=onceกล่าวว่า=saidนิพพาน=Nibbanaอยู่=liesฟากตาย=on the shores of death
A forest-tradition saying: real freedom (นิพพาน) is found only by being willing to 'die' to the self — letting go so completely that clinging itself dies. เคย marks 'once / at some time'.