Glosses: Kammaṭṭhāna Pāli
13. “What are the general Theravada monastic communities thought on S. N. Goenka’s meditation techniques and vipassana centers?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Theravāda] [S. N. Goenka] [Meditation/Techniques] [Meditation retreats] // [Calming meditation] [Generosity] [Dhamma]
7. “Just to clarify – when doing loving-kindness practice, is any phrase OK to repeat? They can be said as a chant, right? At any speed? Is any chant best for achieving concentration?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Goodwill] [Meditation/Techniques] [Chanting] [Concentration] // [Nature of mind]
Quote: “What is really important is not so much the phrases or the methodology but the feeling that is established within the heart of lovingkindness.” [Meditation/Techniques] [Emotion]
Simile: A tradesman with only one tool. [Similes] [Meditation/Techniques]
7. “I’ve been practicing mindfulness of breathing for over 15 years, and to be honest, my meditation periods consist of nearly constant daydreaming, planning, etc. It hardly seems useful. Maybe it’s time to try body sweeping or contemplation meditation or something else. What do you think?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Mindfulness of breathing] [Meditation/Techniques] [Meditation/Results ] // [Buddho mantra] [Body scanning] [Unattractiveness] [Desire] [Recollection]
10. “Can you speak about intuitive/esoteric meditation?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Meditation/Techniques] // [Ajahn Pasanno]
Sutta: SN 47.9.4: The Buddha never taught with a closed fist. [Teaching Dhamma]
4. “Is the concept of anattā or no-self a suitable object of meditation?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Not-self] [Meditation/Techniques]
11. “May I ask the whole Abhayagiri gang what is your favorite meditation object?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno, Ajahn Karuṇadhammo, Ajahn Sudhīro, Debbie Stamp and Bhante Suddhāso. [Meditation/Techniques] // [Mindfulness of breathing] [Unattractiveness] [Recollection/Death] [Goodwill] [Buddho mantra] [Mindfulness of feeling] [Sound of silence] [Impermanence]
1. “Ajahn Karuṇadhammo’s talk truly resonated with me. While years of breath practice has yielded only a few, albeit very important, experiences of concentration, I’ve grown more and more clear about the depths of my defilements and the programs that run through my brain. (Wow! I’m neurotic.) I’m feeling a bit hopeless, but can this possibly be good? Rather than an object and trying for concentration, should I focus on something else for a while until I’ve developed skillful means? is it possible that one’s kamma is such that deep concentration is unlikely or that the background mind can be too aversive for concentration? I really need some anattā here, don’t I?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Mindfulness of breathing] [Concentration] [Long-term practice] [Unwholesome Roots] [Meditation/Techniques] [Kamma] [Not-self] // [Desire] [Right Effort]
4. “Can suññatā (emptiness) be used as a kammaṭṭhāna, and if so, how?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Emptiness] [Meditation/Techniques] // [Seclusion] [Not-self] [Liberation] [Relinquishment]
Sutta: MN 121: The Shorter Discourse on Emptiness.
6. “In the past few years, I’ve used the narrow area near a nostril as my meditation object, without much success in calming the mind. Lately, I have been using the whole body as object. Is there a difference in depth between these two types of objects as ways to experience the breath?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Mindfulness of breathing] [Calming meditation] [Mindfulness of body] [Meditation/Techniques ] // [Desire] [Continuity of mindfulness]
13. “When I asked a Thai friend what her kammaṭṭhāna was, she said, ‘pong waa,’ then added, ‘deng wa.’ Can you explain?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Meditation/Techniques] [Thai] // [Emptiness] [Liberation] [Not-self] [Concentration] [Impermanence] [Suffering]
2. “Do you have any thoughts about the two interpretations of ‘body of breath’ in MN 118?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Mindfulness of breathing] [Mindfulness of body] [Meditation/Techniques] // [Tranquility] [Volitional formations] [Pāli]
9. “Did you use the method of balancing a needle between your thumbs?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Meditation/Techniques]
11. “What is a reasonable amount of time to try out a new method?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Jotipālo. [Ajahn Chah] [Meditation/Techniques] // [Personality] [Patience]
4. “At what point in your meditation do you shift to knower or witness?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Meditation/Techniques] [Knowing itself] [Mindfulness of breathing] // [Investigation of states] [Happiness] [Tranquility] [Calming meditation] [Insight meditation] [Doubt] [Desire]
2. “Did Ajahn Chah have a common statement about his own core practice?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Mindfulness of breathing] [Ajahn Chah] [Meditation/Techniques] // [Ajahn Pasanno] [Teaching Dhamma]
Sutta: MN 118: Ānāpānasati Sutta.
Story: Ajahn Piak reports that Ajahn Chah reaches jhāna quickly. [Ajahn Piak] [Psychic powers] [Jhāna]
3. “Though unskillful mind states may come up, as long as we don’t pick them up and feed them, they are just ideas/thoughts that will end.’ Can you comment on the effectiveness of this practice? Are there situations where you would definitely recommend it? Definitely not recommend it? Do you see this relating to metta?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Unskillful qualities] [Impermanence] [Meditation/Techniques] [Goodwill]
3. “What technique helps one see arising and ceasing really clearly?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Meditation/Techniques] [Impermanence] // [Characteristics of existence] [Teaching Dhamma] [Faith]
Sutta: AN 2.19
4. “What technique to use to realize the fruits of this practice in this life? What technique is easiest and most effective?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Meditation/Techniques ] [Stages of awakening] // [Ardency] [Energy] [Right Effort] [Learning] [Practicing in accordance with Dhamma]
Quote: “I can guarantee that looking for the easiest way is the least effective way.”
Quote: “Practice is one mistake after another.” — Dōgen. [Dōgen]
Story: Someone asks the Dalai Lama, “What is the easiest and quickest way to realize emptiness?” The Dalai Lama cries. [Dalai Lama] [Emptiness] [Fierce/direct teaching]
Sutta: AN 3.137: A teaching of effort.