Koan
Meditation / Meditation/Techniques / Koan 
13 excerpts, 50:12 total duration



Thanksgiving Retreat 2012, Session 1 – Nov. 17, 2012

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11. “The mind can be a trickster. Can the body be a trickster too?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Heart/mind] [Delusion] [Body/form] // [Unattractiveness] [Elements] [Proliferation] [Mindfulness of body]

Story: “Body understands!” [Zen] [Koan]


2021 Abhayagiri Online Thanksgiving Retreat, Session 6 – Nov. 25, 2021

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9. “During lunch I was contemplating the four elements as I ate, and a question arose in my mind: If all things are made of only four elements, why does an orange taste, smell, and feel only like an orange and not like an apple? How can there be so much variety in food?” Answered by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Food] [Elements] [Sense bases]

Story: A Zen master confronts Kalu Rinpoche with an orange. [Zen] [Vajrayāna] [Koan]


Readings from The Island, Session 37 – Mar. 3, 2025

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5. “It seems there are so many things to comment on it is kind of overwhelming. How to deal with that?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Noting] // [Mindfulness of body] [Present moment awareness]

Story: “The body understands!” Told by Ajahn Pasanno. [Zen] [Koan]


Readings from The Island, Session 46 – Mar. 16, 2025

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7. Comment: The translation of the Nibbāna Sutta (Ud 8.3) in The Island renders paññāyati as ‘discerned;’ the Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 49 translates it as ‘possible.’ Contributed by Ajahn Kaccāna. [Discernment] [Translation] [Chanting]

Response by Ajahn Amaro and Ajahn Pasanno.

Quote: “If you can’t go forward, if you can’t go backwards, if you can’t stand still, where do you go?” — Ajahn Chah. Quoted by Ajahn Amaro and Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Sumedho] [Koan]

Sutta: Ud 8.1.