Q&A session, Aug. 31, 2026
Three Jewels in Fort Bragg, California
11 excerpts, 39:46 total duration
Show featured excerpts (3)
Ajahn Pasanno answers questions from visitors during the Monday night gathering at Three Jewels, a small branch of Abhayagiri on the California coast.
Original recordings available on www.abhayagiri.org
1. [0:00] “Luang Por, did you sleep okay last night?” [Ajahn Pasanno]
Story: Reed Perry sleeps on Eurorail trains while travelling with friends. [Travel]
Story: Ajahn Pasanno falls asleep while holding a book. Told by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo.
2. [2:18] Ajahn Pasanno compares his experience of Buddhism at university with that of a Three Jewels visitor. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Learning] // [Spiritual traditions] [Meditation]
3. [5:06] “Intellectually I understand and can observe the illusion my eye presents, and I can detach from it. But at 3am, when I wake up and something comes into my mind, I really attach. It’s like everything I learned is out the window. I try to remind myself that it’s temporary and impermanent and try not to get involved. Any suggestions?” [Self-identity view] [Clinging] // [Tranquility] [Mindfulness of breathing] [Relinquishment]
Follow-up: “Sometimes a thought will completely wipe out [my perception] of my whole body.” [Proliferation] [Mindfulness of body] [Goodwill]
4. [10:15] “What about pure consciousness?” [Consciousness] [Unestablished consciousness] // [Clinging] [Cause of Suffering] [Relinquishment]
Sutta: Ud 8.3: Nibbāna Sutta. [Unconditioned]
Quote: “Trying to be pure consciousness is tiring.”
5. [16:06] Reflection: The Buddha points to the simplicity of mind where there is the possibility of freedom. [Heart/mind] [Liberation] // [Relinquishment] [Knowing itself]
Follow-up: “So we are consciousness as opposed to having consciousness?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Consciousness] [Ajahn Sumedho] [Self-identity view] [Knowledge and vision]
6. [19:38] Comment: I find that there’s a lot of overlap between cognitive behavioral skills and meditation and Buddhism. [Western psychology] [Meditation]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [History/Western Buddhism]
7. [21:18] “I notice that I would go after something like getting a degree, but after I got there, the excitement dissipated. Any suggestions on being present in the moment?” [Purpose/meaning] [Drawbacks] [Disenchantment] [Present moment awareness] // [Contentment] [Becoming]
Quote: “Desire is not quenchable.” [Craving]
Sutta: Dhp 251: There is no river as wide as taṇhā. [Similes]
Quote: “I’ve never seen any wealthy people come to the monastery. … They still don’t have enough.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Greed ]
8. [26:38] “Is there a way for fullness and contentment to coexist with things you want to accomplish?” [Contentment ] [Desire] // [Benefit/gratification] [Skillful qualities] [Commerce/economics] [Generosity]
Sutta: SN 56.11.2: The two extremes (Amaravati Chanting Book Volume 2, p. 2).
9. [28:53] Reflections on wealthy and powerful disciples of the Buddha and the Buddha’s attitude towards wealth and power. [Buddha/Biography] [Commerce/economics] // [Generosity] [Leadership] [Royalty] [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support]
10. [33:29] “People encourage my children to follow their passion. How does this relate to dispassion? Do you have any advice for kids growing up?” [Children] [Desire] [Dispassion ] // [Benefit/gratification] [Skillful qualities]
Quote: “You can’t really pursue a path of virtue, integrity, meditation, wisdom, and reflection if you’re not passionate about it.” [Eightfold Path]
Recollection: Ajahn Pasanno had no passion for his university career. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Learning]
11. [38:40] “Sometimes, mostly during morning pūjā, the mind will settle into a dull presence. Ajahn Fuang calls this moha samādhi. How do you work with this?” [Sloth and torpor] [Wrong concentration] [Ajahn Fuang] [Delusion] // [Energy] [Investigation of states] [Recollection]