Thanksgiving Retreat, Nov. 20, 2004 to Nov. 27, 2004
Angela Center in Santa Rosa, California
9 excerpts, 1:01:48 total duration
Show featured excerpts (2)
Ajahn Pasanno led the 2004 Thanksgiving Retreat along with Gloria Taraniya Ambrosia and Shirley Jayanta Johannsen during Ajahn Amaro’s sabbatical. There was only a single question and answer session.
1. [1:20] “How does one know if one has had an insight or if one has just had another deluded thought? Is insight a ‘wordless knowing’ or can it involve conceptual, discursive thought? If one is having deluded insights, one isn’t likely to know they are deluded, right?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Insight meditation] [Delusion] // [History] [Skillful qualities] [Suffering]
2. [6:46] “When one is in the midst of an unpleasant situation, for example one is very stressed because one is running out of time trying to meet a deadline, what should one do? Does one focus on the bodily sensation at that time while trying to do the work at hand? There are tremendous negative forces at the time distracting one from concentrating or anything.” Answered by Gloria Taraniya Ambrosia. [Suffering] [Work] [Time management] [Mindfulness of body] // [Concentration] [Ignorance] [Craving] [Insight Meditation Society] [Mindfulness of breathing]
Sutta: MN 10.3: “Having removed desire and aversion for the world.”
3. [12:38] “At the end of your morning teaching, you said, ‘Return to the knowing.’ Please say more about this and how I can know I’m experiencing the knowing, not just the ego—I and me.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Knowing itself ] [Self-identity view] // [Mindfulness] [Thai] [Proliferation] [Skillful qualities] [Unskillful qualities] [Restlessness and worry] [Doubt] [Buddha] [Conditionality]
4. [21:00] “I’m working/practicing at staying composed and equanimous. As meditation deepens, I find some challenging emotions arise. I’m avoiding look at its story so I can focus on the reactions in the body to whatever that story may be. I’ve noticed that the reactions in the body are identical to the sensations climbing the hill behind the meditation hall. So I imagine that I’m outside climbing the hill and feel the heart rate rise, heat, tension when falling off-balance, etc. This is a much easier place to let go of the sensations because it cools any fears that may arise with the original story. Is this okay to do or should I face the demon in his own costume instead of one I’ve made for it?” Answered by Gloria Taraniya Ambrosia. [Equanimity] [Emotion] [Mindfulness of body] [Visualization] // [Perception] [Aversion]
Reflection: The hindrances come into play as a remedy for a situation that is already difficult. [Hindrances ] [Benefit/gratification] [Drawbacks]
5. [30:30] Ten perceptions from the Girimānanda Sutta (AN 10.60). Teaching by Ajahn Pasanno. [Perception] [Recollection]
6. [35:06] “Can you please remind me of some skillful ways to deal with anger?” Answered by Gloria Taraniya Ambrosia. [Aversion] // [Goodwill] [Mindfulness] [Ajahn Amaro] [Impermanence] [Kamma] [Ignorance] [Spiritual friendship] [Medicinal requisites] [Ajahn Sumedho] [Media] [Politics and society]
Reference: Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 58: Reflections on impermanence and kamma.
Quote: “Sometimes even mindfulness is no match for a full-blown mental hindrance.” — Ajahn Sucitto. [Ajahn Sucitto] [Hindrances]
7. [52:48] Reflections about the role of faith in practice in response to three questions: [Faith] // [Faculties] [Discernment] [Energy] [Forgiveness] [Respect] [Rev. Heng Sure] [Relinquishment]
1. “It sound like Ajahn Chah was an arahant from your comments about his relics. How do you know? Are there many living arahants now? Should you seek one out as a Dhamma teacher?” [Ajahn Chah] [Arahant] [Relics] [Association with people of integrity]
2. “What is a ‘transgression against the Dhamma’ that we bow and ask forgiveness for during the Evening Chanting (Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 27)? What are some examples? Why do we do this practice of asking for forgiveness? Surely the Dhamma is bigger than us and doesn’t need it.” [Dhamma] [Chanting]
3. “What is the benefit of having a relic on the altar? Does it help our meditation?”
Quote: “On a certain level, we’re never going to figure this out.”
8. [1:05:26] “When the monks bow, they touch the ground right hand, left hand, one after the other. Would you be so kind as to explain the purpose?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Bowing] // [Robes]
9. [1:07:00] “Could you recommend a book about ānāpānasati or mindful approaches to the jhānas?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Mindfulness of breathing] [Jhāna] [Dhamma books]
Reference: Mindfulness with Breathing by Ajahn Buddhadāsa.
Reference: Breath by Breath: The Liberating Practice of Insight Meditation by Larry Rosenberg (commercial).
Reference: Beyond Mindfulness in Plain English: An Introductory Guide to Deeper States of Meditation by Bhante Gunaratana (commercial).
Note: More recent books about mindfulness of breathing from the Thai Forest Tradition include Keeping the Breath in Mind and Lessons in Samādhi by Ajahn Lee Dhammadharo, With Each and Every Breath by Ajahn Ṭhānissaro, and Breathing like a Buddha by Ajahn Sucitto.