16. “I’m struggling with body pain while sitting in meditation. I realize shifting my body position causes me to temporarily lose my concentration. At times I can sit with the pain; other times I am concerned that I may be injuring my back or knees. How is most beneficial to work with this?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Pain] [Posture/Sitting] [Concentration] // [Tranquility] [Mindfulness of breathing] [Meditation retreats] [Mindfulness]
Quote: “Chickens sit on their nest for long periods of time, and I don’t see them getting enlightened.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Liberation]
Quote: “You’re never going to be comfortable in a human body.” [Pain] [Human]
13. “From experience I know that lots more walking and less sitting is better for pain management. Should I just continue to sit and work on enduring the unendurable or walk more?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Posture/Walking] [Posture/Sitting] [Pain] [Patience] // [Continuity of mindfulness]
Quote: “You can learn a lot from pain, but it also wears you down.” [Pain] [Learning] [Energy]
Recollection: Ajahn Khao walked meditation for nine hours a day. [Ajahn Khao] [Monastic routine]
12. Quote: “I’m feeling a bit like a prisoner. People take me upstairs to stay and then they bring me down from time to time for questioning.” — Ajahn Chah leading the 1979 retreat at Insight Meditation Society. Quoted by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Insight Meditation Society] [Questions]
Quote: “I’m getting old and my knees hurt.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ageing] [Pain]
4. “Is pain an obstacle to reaching right concentration?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Pain] [Right Concentration] // [Happiness] [Postures] [Direct experience]
Quote: “What’s really painful about pain is the way we hate it.” [Pain] [Aversion]
9. “Do monks on retreat feel as much pain as we do? Is pain saṅkhāras?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Pain] [Monastic life] [Meditation retreats] [Volitional formations] // [Ajahn Pasanno] [Feeling]
Quote: “Pain is a pretty regular feature of my experience.” [Pain]
1. “I experience negative, unwholesome mind states when I encounter ignorance, both my own and in others. I understand the fundamentals of hiri-otappa, wholesome shame and fear of wrongdoing, that strengthens one’s determination not to repeat it again. However, when I experience people hurting themselves or others, it can make me quite sad or angry. It’s sticky, and I have trouble letting it go. Is this conceit? Is it lack of equanimity?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Unskillful qualities] [Conscience and prudence] [Aversion] [Relinquishment] [Equanimity] // [Patience] [Not-self] [Human]
Quote: “Peaceful coexistence with the unpleasant.” — Ajahn Sumedho’s definition of patience. [Ajahn Sumedho] [Pain]
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.” [Pain ] [Self-reliance]