Part of tag cluster Dhamma in key topic The Three Refuges
4. “How does atammayatā relate to Ajahn Chah’s simile about oil and water, the mind and the mind objects being separate?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro and Ajahn Pasanno. [Non-identification] [Ajahn Chah] [Similes ] [Nature of mind]
Quote: “Inside is Dhamma, outside is Dhamma, everything is Dhamma.” — Ajahn Chah. Quoted by Ajahn Amaro. [Dhamma]
Quote: “All symbols and similes are partially relevant. All analogies are partial.” — Ajahn Amaro. [Symbolism/metaphor]
6. “I’m super perplexed and baffled with defining or understanding the term suchness or thusness. Are you able to communicate what it actually means?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro and Ajahn Pasanno. [Suchness ] // [Ajahn Sumedho] [Language] [Knowing itself] [Aggregates] [Unconditioned] [Dhamma] [Recollection/Dhamma]
Quotes: “It’s like this.” “Reality is unimaginable.” — Ajahn Sumedho. [Direct experience]
Sutta: MN 72.20, quoted in The Island by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro, p. 172.
1. Comment: The separation between the mind and the sense/mind objects can be helpfully contemplated at multiple levels of acuity. Contributed by Ajahn Kaccāna. [Nature of mind] [Knowing itself] [Sense bases] // [Nibbāna] [Ajahn Chah]
Sutta: AN 11.9.
Reference: Stillness Flowing by Ajahn Jayasaro, pp. 90-91.
Response by Ajahn Amaro. [Hearing the true Dhamma] [Perception] [Etymology]
Quote: “The Five Khandhas exist, but they aren’t real. The Dhamma is real, but it doesn’t exist.” — Ajahn Paññāvaḍḍho. [Ajahn Paññāvaḍḍho] [Aggregates] [Dhamma]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno.
Quote: “Bright, loud, and mobile is the false; subtle and indistinct is the true.” — Master Hsuan Hua to Ajahn Amaro in a dream. Quoted by Ajahn Amaro. [Master Hsuan Hua] [Ajahn Amaro] [Dreams] [Truth]
3. Reflections by Ajahn Amaro and Ajahn Pasanno about the Dhamma and Vinaya aspects of dependence. [Dhamma] [Vinaya] [Dependence] // [Middle Path] [Four Noble Truths]
Sutta: Snp 752-753: “There is danger in dependence.” [Clinging]
Quote: “The Dhamma is all about letting go, and the Vinaya is all about holding on. When you figure out how these work together, you’ll be fine.” — Ajahn Chah. Quoted by Ajahn Amaro. [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Sumedho] [Dhamma] [Relinquishment]
3. “Is there a difference between citta and poo roo?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro. [Heart/mind ] [Knowing itself] [Nature of mind] // [Thai] [Language] [Proliferation] [Dhamma] [Buddha] [Ajahn Amaro] [Dhamma books]
Quote: “If there’s anything left, just throw it to the dogs.” — Ajahn Chah. Quoted by Ajahn Amaro. [Ajahn Chah] [Relinquishment]
7. “One of the descriptions of Dhamma is ‘here and now.’ Have you had an equivalent insight into now-ness? (Refers to the previous story about here-ness.)” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Dhamma] [Ajahn Amaro] [Insight meditation] [Time] // [Impermanence] [Not-self] [Conventions]
Reference: The Sixth Patriarch’s Dharma Jewel Platform Sutra.
6. “In animitta samādhi, is the mind one-pointed or just sharp? Does it fall into the world of jhāna?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Concentration] [Nimitta] [Unification] [Jhāna]
Sutta: SN 48.9.4: Unification of mind with relinquishment as its object. [Relinquishment]
Quote: “The point that includes.” — Ajahn Sumedho. Quoted by Ajahn Amaro. [Ajahn Sumedho] [Spaciousness]
Teaching from Ajahn Chah: “Being Dhamma.” Related by Ajahn Amaro and Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Dhamma] [Knowing itself] [Not-self] [Self-identity view]
Sutta: MN 95.20: The sequence of hearing, understanding, practicing, and realizing Dhamma. [Dhamma]
Reference: Being Dharma by Ajahn Chah (commercial).
8. Reflection by Ajahn Amaro and Ajahn Pasanno: Our strongest habit is to practice Dhamma in accordance with self-view. [Habits] [Self-identity view] [Practicing in accordance with Dhamma] // [Factors for stream entry] [Dhamma]
Quote: “I am an unenlightened person who has got to do something now in order to become enlightened in the future.” — a wrong framework for practice pointed out by Ajahn Sumedho. Quoted by Ajahn Amaro. [Ajahn Sumedho] [Liberation]
Sutta: AN 3.40: Three traits that can predominate (adhipatteyya).
1. “The suttas ae the classic Dhamma texts, and there are a lot of books, etc. that expound the Dhamma as well. What sources to study to hear the true Dhamma?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro. [Hearing the true Dhamma ] [Sutta] [Dhamma books] // [Thai Forest Tradition] [Discernment] [Four Noble Truths] [Views]
Quote: “Does he contemplate the Four Noble Truths when he’s climbing rocks?” — Ajahn Chah. Quoted by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Paul Breiter] [Culture/West] [Recreation/leisure/sport]
Sutta: AN 8.53: Eight criteria to determine what is Dhamma. [Dhamma]
2. Comment: AN 8.53 mentions Dhamma-Vinaya, not just Dhamma. [Dhamma] [Vinaya]
Responses by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro. [Dhamma] [Great disciples] [Simplicity]
1. “In light of AN 6.98, is Nibbāna permanent? Is it possible to pay attention to what’s happening and notice what isn’t changing?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro. [Nibbāna] [Impermanence] // [Time] [Dhamma]
Sutta: Ud 8.3: Nibbāna Sutta (Chanting Book translation).
Quote: “Permanence isn’t the same as timelessness.” — Ajahn Amaro.
2. “Does Nibbāna exist? Is there a sutta about this?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro and Ajahn Pasanno. [Nibbāna] [Sutta] // [Etymology] [Discernment]
Sutta: Milindapañha 323, quoted in The Island by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro, p. 162.
Quote: “Dhamma is real but does not exist. The five khandhas exist, but they’re not real.” — Ajahn Paññāvaḍḍho. Quoted by Ajahn Amaro. [Ajahn Paññāvaḍḍho] [Dhamma] [Aggregates]
Quote: “Dhamma is un-image-able.” — Ajahn Sumedho. Quoted by Ajahn Amaro. [Ajahn Sumedho] [Dhamma]
4. Story: Joseph Goldstein recognizes stinginess with regard to Dhamma (AN 5.260). Told by Ajahn Amaro. [Joseph Goldstein] [Greed] [Dhamma] // [Insight meditation]
4. “What does it mean to be a thief of Dhamma (SN 12.70.27)?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Stealing] [Dhamma] [Stream entry]
4. “What advice would you give to future abbots and teachers of Wat Pah Pong branch monasteries so that the communities maintain the most important characteristics of Ajahn Chah’s style of leadership?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Abbot] [Ajahn Chah monasteries] [Saṅgha] [Leadership ] [Ajahn Chah] // [Dhamma] [Vinaya] [Chanting] [Translation]
Sutta: DN 16.6: Dhamma-Vinaya is your leader. [Dhamma]
Quote: “Ajahn Chah was conservative, but he wasn’t fundamentalist.” [Monastic life]
Story: The Dalai Lama asks the Abhayagiri monks to chant the Maṅgala Sutta (Snp 2.4, Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 46) in Pāli. [Dalai Lama] [Pāli]
Story: Ajahn Chah was one of the first forest monks to ban smoking in the monastery. [Smoking] [Lunar observance days]
Recollection: Ajahn Chah was unique in consulting with senior monks and laypeople when making decisions. [Saṅgha decision making]
2. “How to find a good balance between personal individual practice and helping the community? How have you practiced with this yourself, having had the role of abbot for such a long time?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Meditation] [Service] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Abbot] // [Seclusion ] [Restlessness and worry] [Ajahn Sumedho] [Idealism] [Becoming] [Craving not to become] [Monastic routine]
Quote: “You really have to learn how to step back from your own mind and give attention to that sense of solid connection with the Dhamma practice.” [Dhamma]
Quote: “If we don’t really develop a sense of giving and sharing and lovingkindness and compassion, any amount of meditation that you do never really comes to much fruition.” [Generosity] [Goodwill]
5. Story: Beginning a sitting group in Portland, Oregon. Told by Sakula. [Meditation groups] [Portland Friends of the Dhamma] // [Ajahn Amaro]
Quote: “If you take care of the Dhamma, the Dhamma will take care of you. When you need help, someone will show up.” — Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Dhamma] [Community]
6. Recollection: After drafting an article called “Coming of Age,” Ajahn Amaro reflects that the self-view invested in the idea of being abbot of the California monastery is completely backward. Recounted by Ajahn Amaro. [Ajahn Amaro ] [Abbot] [Conceit] [Becoming] // [Saṅghapāla] [Pre-Abhayagiri vihāras] [Cause of Suffering] [Disrobing] [Ajahn Sumedho] [Abhayagiri]
Quote: “Being the abbot of a monastery and you’re only 34!” — Ajahn Amaro’s mother. [Parents] [Blame and praise]
Quote: “If our heart is attuned to Dhamma, it’s not about becoming any thing.” [Dhamma] [Beauty]
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. “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] [Dhamma]