11 excerpts, 43:36 total duration
19. Comment: What is the sound of one turkey clapping?...The point is to thank you all for keeping such good humor in the mix. Humor is essential to the path. [Koan] [Humor] [Gratitude]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno.
17. “From reading about or hearing talks and stories of some of the great Thai Forest masters, its seems that many of them were particularly fascinated pre-enlightenment with a single Dhamma principle. They then intensely investigated said principle almost like a Zen koan until they entered the stream. Was the Dhamma koan the cause of their stream entry or was triggering it just part of the greater process?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Thai Forest Tradition] [Koan] [Stream entry] [Conditionality] // [Desire] [Insight meditation]
3. “Can you recommend a book of koans for inspiration?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Zen] [Koan] [Dhamma books] // [Ajahn Sumedho] [Hua tou] [Master Hsu Yun]
Story: Ajahn Chah encourages Ajahn Sumedho to develop the hua tou technique. [Ajahn Chah] [Mahasi Sayadaw] [Ven. Ñāṇatiloka]
Reference: Word of the Buddha by Venerable Ñāṇatiloka.
4. Story: Harata Rōshi’s response to a question about koans. Told by Ajahn Jotipālo. [Harata Rōshi] [Koan] // [Translation]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Knowing itself]
7. “Is Maha Kassapa the same one from the Gateless Gate (Koan #6) who smiles when the Buddha holds up a flower?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Great disciples] [Koan] // [Mahāyāna]
4. Story: Huineng evades his pursuers with a koan. Told by Ajahn Amaro. [Koan] [Huineng]
Follow-up: “Do you know why Huineng returned after sixteen years?”
Recollection: Ajahn Buddhadāsa translated a few Chinese Buddhist texts into Thai. [Ajahn Buddhadāsa] [Translation] [Koan] [Ajahn Chah]
9. “Where did you (Ajahn Amaro) say, ‘Vanish; the truth sustains itself,’ in relation to Ajahn Chah’s conundrum, ‘If you can’t go forward, if you can’t go backwards, if you can’t stand still, where do you go?’” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Ajahn Amaro] [Truth] [Koan]