“Brand Names”

In the past I had one Dhamma companion who became more interested in study than in practice. He pursued the Pāḷi and Abhidhamma studies, going to live in Bangkok after a while, and he finally completed his studies and received a certificate and titles commensurate with his learning. So now he has a brand name. Here, I don’t have any brand name. I studied outside the models, contemplating things and practicing, thinking and practicing. So I didn’t get the brand label like the others. In this monastery we had ordinary monks, people who didn’t have a lot of learning but who were determined to practice.

(The Teachings of Ajahn Chah)