All excerpts
84 events, 579 sessions, 4492 excerpts, 250:19:24 total duration
Most common tags:
Ajahn Chah
(1005)
Ajahn Pasanno
(504)
Suffering
(393)
Relinquishment
(337)
Abhayagiri
(305)
Self-identity view
(304)
Monastic life
(279)
Mindfulness of breathing
(275)
Discernment
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Teaching Dhamma
(263)
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[Session] Dhamma talk offered by Ajahn Damrong: “Beyond Home: What Are We Really Seeking?” in Thai and English. Translated by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Thai audio]
1. Dhamma talk offered by Ajahn Damrong: “Beyond Home: What Are We Really Seeking?” Translated by Ajahn Ñāṇiko.
2. Reflection by Ajahn Damrong: “I’ve seen so many cremations; I’m not sure who’s going to go next.” Translated by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Death] [Funerals] [Impermanence] // [Ageing] [Monastic titles]
3. Reflection by Ajahn Damrong: “If we understand how to practice, then we can know Dhamma, and the heart can be at ease. It can be so wonderfully peaceful.” Translated by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Dhamma] [Tranquility ]
4. Recollection: When I first went to Wat Pah Pong. Recounted by Ajahn Damrong. Translated by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Ajahn Damrong] [Wat Pah Pong] // [Tranquility] [Ajahn Chah] [Work]
5. Reflection by Ajahn Damrong: A place of mutual respect. Translated by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Abhayagiri] [Respect ] // [Humility] [Merit]
Sutta: AN 5.37: The four results of respect.
6. Quote: “Sumedho, why do Westerners walk so fast?” — Ajahn Chah. Quoted by Ajahn Damrong. Translated by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Sumedho] [Culture/West] [Pace of life]
[Session] Dhamma talk offered by Ajahn Jundee: “The Life-Saving Refuges” in Thai and English. Translated by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Thai audio] [Three Refuges]
1. Dhamma talk offered by Ajahn Jundee: “The Life-Saving Refuges.” Translated by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Three Refuges]
2. Reflection by Ajahn Jundee: We bow to the qualities of the Buddha. Translated by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Bowing] [Buddha] // [Ajahn Chah] [Buddha images] [Tudong]
Story: Venerable Sāriputta would bow in the direction of Venerable Assaji. [Great disciples] [Respect]
Vinaya: Mahāvagga 1.23: Venerable Sāriputta meets Venerable Assaji.
3. Recollection: Ajahn Chah would go to a village and ask, “Are there any people here?” Recounted by Ajahn Jundee. Translated by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Ajahn Chah] // [Virtue] [Similes]
4. Stories: Ajahn Jundee helps two suicidal men. Told by Ajahn Jundee. Translated by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Ajahn Jundee] [Suicide] // [Monasteries]
1. “What is the benefit of having more monks in the world?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life] // [Virtue] [Saṅgha] [Vinaya] [Culture/West] [Seclusion]
Reference: Recollection of the Saṅgha (Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 7). [Recollection/Saṅgha]
2. “There are stories of you taking on people for training that on the surface seem very unsuitable, for example a heroin addict at Wat Pah Nanachat who eventually stayed in robes for 20 years. What made you stick with characters like that? How do you see the secret ingredient of what’s hiding below the surface?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life] // [Intuition]
3. “What have you seen be the key difference between those who blossom and those who wilt [in monastic life]?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life] // [Truth] [Energy] [Patience]
Quote: “The quickest way to Awakening is to look straight at the heart, point right at it, [and say] ‘Liar!’” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Liberation]
4. “There are certain monastic traditions, like the Pa Auk tradition, where monks will have an interview with their teacher every day to get meditation advice. You don’t do that; that’s not a characteristic of the Thai Forest Tradition. You mentioned that you led and trained others like a duck. Could you explain that metaphor?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Pa Auk Sayadaw] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Similes] [Monastic life] // [Questions] [Dhamma]
Simile from Ajahn Chah: I teach like a duck rather than teach like a chicken. [Ajahn Chah] [Teaching Dhamma]
Quote: “You have to learn to teach yourself.” [Self-reliance]
5. “A lot of monks want to find ways to quantify their practice, count the number of hours they meditate or sleep or the number of spoonfuls they eat. And you don’t advocate that. How does one measure their practice if they’re not counting it in some way?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Kovilo] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Monastic life] // [Skillful qualities] [Unskillful qualities]
6. “What’s the biggest story you’ve had to work through yourself? Did you have any moments when you really had to step up?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Monastic life] // [Fear] [Ajahn Chah] [Delusion] [Admonishment/feedback]
Quote: “I want to live in a way that is exemplary and free. I don’t want to live under the tyranny of my own anxiety and delusions.” [Liberation]
7. “Many people think monastic life is a training in meditation. You mentioned Ajahn Chah’s approach to training was trying to inculcate virtue and Right View. How do you teach these to others?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Virtue] [Right View] [Teaching Dhamma] [Monastic life] // [Happiness] [Contentment] [Gratitude] [Self-identity view] [Idealism] [Spaciousness] [Relinquishment]
8. “When you hear about one of your students thinking of disrobing, how do you approach that?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Disrobing ] [Monastic life] // [Listening]
9. “What do you think about the practice of a monk taking lifetime vows? It’s not required in our Thai tradition, but is expected in other traditions. Do you ever encourage this?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Determination] [Culture/Thailand] [Monastic life] // [Idealism]
10. “If you had to choose between having an overly greedy monk disciple and an overly aversive monk disciple, which would you choose?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Greed] [Aversion] [Monastic life]
Follow-up: “If you had to choose between a monk who eats too much versus a monk who sleeps too much, what would be preferable?” [Moderation in eating] [Devotion to wakefulness]
Quote: “We’re never going to make Abhayagiri comfortable.” [Abhayagiri]
11. “If you had to choose between having a monk who talks too much and a monk who doesn’t talk at all, which would you choose?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Idle chatter] [Monastic life]
12. “If you had to choose between a monk who is overly attached to ritual versus a monk who is totally dismissive of ritual, which would you choose?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Attachment to precepts and practices ] [Monastic life] // [Views]
13. “What should one do or contemplate when noticing a tendency for avoidance, distraction, and restlessness?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Restlessness and worry] // [Aspects of Understanding] [Patience]
Sutta: SN 22.26: The Buddha describes his Awakening in terms of benefit, drawbacks, and escape. [Buddha/Biography] [Liberation]
14. “Has Ajahn Chah ever used physical force to discipline his stubborn disciples out of kindness?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Fierce/direct teaching] [Compassion] [Monastic life] // [Ajahn Pasanno]
Story: Ajahn Chah kicks Ajahn Ñāṇadhammo in the chest. [Ajahn Ñāṇadhammo]
1. “Luang Por, did you sleep okay last night?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [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. Ajahn Pasanno compares his experience of Buddhism at university with that of a Three Jewels visitor. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Learning] // [Spiritual traditions] [Meditation]
3. “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?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [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. “What about pure consciousness?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Consciousness] [Unestablished consciousness] // [Clinging] [Cause of Suffering] [Relinquishment]
Sutta: Ud 8.3: Nibbāna Sutta. [Unconditioned]
Quote: “Trying to be pure consciousness is tiring.”
5. Reflection by Ajahn Pasanno: 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. 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. “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?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [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. “Is there a way for fullness and contentment to coexist with things you want to accomplish?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [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. Reflections by Ajahn Pasanno 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. “People encourage my children to follow their passion. How does this relate to dispassion? Do you have any advice for kids growing up?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [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. “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?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Sloth and torpor] [Wrong concentration] [Ajahn Fuang] [Delusion] // [Energy] [Investigation of states] [Recollection]
1. “Could you describe dukkha? One of your similes that I love relates dukkha to Canadian tires in the wintertime.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Pāli] [Similes] [Suffering] // [Translation] [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Ṭhānissaro] [Ajahn Pasanno]
2. “Could you describe the difference between the suffering of the three characteristics and the suffering of the Four Noble Truths, the first and second arrows (SN 36.6)?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Characteristics of existence] [Four Noble Truths] [Suffering] // [Self-identity view]
Reference: Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 11: “Birth is dukkha…”
3. “There’s a Simon and Garfunkel song that has the line, “Hello darkness, my old friend.” I’ve heard you change the lyrics of that to, “Hello dukkha, my old friend.” How far back does your understanding of dukkha go? You talk to some Americans, and they’re like, “Dukkha, suffering? I don’t have any of that.” Looking back, when did you first meet dukkha?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Popular culture] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Suffering]
4. “When did you first have faith that there was truly a way out?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Cessation of Suffering] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Suffering] // [Ajahn Chah]
5. “There’s a story about waiting for the afternoon sweet drink all night long (Stillness Flowing by Ajahn Jayasaro, p. 504). Was this you?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Medicinal requisites] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Suffering]
Story: Ajahn Pasanno’s first Pāṭimokkha at Wat Pah Pong. [Wat Pah Pong] [Pāṭimokkha] [Posture/Sitting] [Mae Chee]
Reflection: Ajahn Chah provided the opportunity to reflect about difficulty (Thai toramon). [Fierce/direct teaching ]
Quote: “I don’t teach wisdom. I just give toramon.” — Ajahn Chah. [Discernment]
6. “You have lived with intense physical pain for some time due to many injuries. You don’t mention it often or show it at all really. What methods do you use to confront that most coarse form of dukkha?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Kovilo. [Pain ] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Suffering] // [Mindfulness] [Goodwill] [Patience] [Pāli] [Perfections] [Fear]
Quote: “We have the resources within ourselves to not be intimidated by pain or discomfort.” [Self-reliance]
7. “I’m also curious about mental pain. In 1992, you were invited by Ajahn Chah to become the abbot of Wat Pah Nanachat when you were less than ten years in robes. Shortly after, Ajahn Chah became paralyzed and was no longer able to communicate. You took groups of monks every week to pay respects to him, and for ten years were looking after him. Can you explain how you related to that whole mass of dukkha that must have come up? How do you advise others dealing with similar things?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Ajahn Chah] [Abbot] [Sickness] [Suffering] // [Grief] [Fear] [Leadership] [Humility ] [Pain] [Self-identity view]
8. “How can you acknowledge the limitations of the personality and of the circumstance but find a deeper wisdom beyond that? For those who find themselves in difficult situations with life and think that release of suffering in this life is beyond them, what thoughts would you offer?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Personality] [Discernment] [Everyday life] [Cessation of Suffering] [Suffering] // [Spiritual friendship ] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Ajahn Chah] [Wat Pah Nanachat] [Abbot] [Thai Ajahn Chah lineage] [Ajahn Dune] [Community] [Culture/West] [Saṅgha]
9. “Luang Por Dune reframes the Four Noble Truths. He says the cause of dukkha is ???, sending the mind out, and the result of that is dukkha. The path is ???, the mind seeing the mind, and the fruit of that is the Third Noble Truths, nirodha. Can you say more about this?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Dune ] [Four Noble Truths] [Cause of Suffering] [Thai] [Suffering] [Eightfold Path] [Cessation of Suffering] // [Proliferation] [Mindfulness of mind]
10. “The world has real fears in it right now—AI, war, beyond.... What thoughts do you have for people dealing with the suffering of the wider commentary, the news cycle, and real concerns about the shape of politics in the world?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Fear] [Politics and society] [Suffering] // [Community]
Vinaya: Mahāvagga 1.11: “Go out for the welfare and happiness of the manyfolk.” [Buddha/Biography]
11. “What about someone who votes and is doing their best to take care of their local community, but they still find their heart darkening with these concerns?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Politics and society] [Community] [Depression] [Suffering] // [Human]
Quote: “The world has been falling about for a long time. This is not a new phenomenon.”
Recollection: The 30th anniversary of Nature Care. [Environment] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Non-profit organizations]
Quote: “If I did it with the idea that I’ve got to protect all the forests in Thailand, I’d just get frustrated. But what I can do is plant seeds for people to protect at least some of it, and that’s a good example for other people in the future.”
12. “We’ve already talked about the quote from the Buddha, “Spiritual companionship is the whole of the Holy Life (SN 45.2).” Someone asked you a question about that, and you said, “Living with other people—it’s horrible!” And then you laughed a huge Luang Por Pasanno laugh. Could you talk about the paradox that living with other people is half the Holy Life and it’s dukkha? You didn’t have to be an abbot. You could have lived a hermit’s life. Any insights into balancing that?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Spiritual friendship] [Community] [Seclusion] [Suffering] // [Patience] [Compassion]
13. “Is there one teaching of the Buddha or sutta that’s rung in you these last years or through your life that stands out more than the others?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Sutta ] [Ajahn Pasanno] // [Liberation] [Purpose/meaning] [Worldly Conditions]
Sutta: MN 30: Cūḷasāropama Sutta (Shorter Heartwood Simile).
14. Brief reflection for the Clear Mountain Project: “Don’t confuse what’s really important.” [Clear Mountain] [Suffering] // [Spiritual friendship] [Liberation]
Sutta: MN 30: Cūḷasāropama Sutta (Shorter Heartwood Simile).
15. “Having lived in Thailand for over 20 years and in America for 30 years, do you see any American patterns of dukkha, ways that Americans get caught?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Culture/West] [Suffering] // [Self-identity view] [Selfishness] [Judgementalism] [Conceit] [Relinquishment]
Quote: “I can never get enlightened.” — Ajahn Sumedho. [Ajahn Sumedho] [Liberation]
Quote: “The ‘I’ does not have inherent existence. We have to make it. And then we have to look after it.” [Not-self]
16. “When you’re not dealing with suffering, where do you reside in your practice or what do you focus on?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Cessation of Suffering] // [Knowing itself] [Beauty]
17. “Do you have any final advice for two monks in Seattle.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Clear Mountain] // [Generosity] [Three Refuges]
Quote: “This is just the beginning of your dukkha.” [Suffering]
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