32 excerpts, 2:57:11 total duration
15. (A) “Please say a few more words on posture. For example, I noticed that my body was leaning towards the left. If I weighted my right hand with intention, this seems to stop. Is this a correct tactic?” (B) “In my martial arts training, a goal is to relax and make the breathing easier. Is that true of vipassanā as well?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Posture/Sitting] [Mindfulness of body] [Volition] [Tranquility] [Mindfulness of breathing] [Insight meditation] // [Aggregates] [Energy] [Buddha images]
Quote: “That looks like a farang [Western] Buddha. It looks very tense.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Sumedho] [Artistic expression] [Culture/West] [Posture/Sitting]
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] [Posture/Sitting] [Liberation]
Quote: “You’re never going to be comfortable in a human body.” [Human]
5. “When my breathing gets very fine, I notice that my head and body will subtly lean forward. Is this common?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Mindfulness of breathing] [Posture/Sitting] // [Becoming] [Body/form]
15. “If weeping starts to happen while sitting, is it best to leave the hall or okay if some sound happens while in the group?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Grief] [Posture/Sitting] [Meditation retreats]
20. “Can a person be enlightened without ever sitting? Or without ever hearing the Dhamm? Was anyone ever enlightened before the Buddha?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Liberation] [Posture/Sitting] [Hearing the true Dhamma] // [Buddha] [Mindfulness] [Discernment] [Tranquility]
Simile from Ajahn Chah: “Chickens sit for a long period of time, and they don’t get very far.” [Ajahn Chah] [Animal] [Posture/Sitting] [Similes]
Recollection: When Ajahn Chah sat meditation, it was like seeing a mountain sitting there. [Posture/Sitting]
Sutta: SN 15.1: “Bound by ignorance and obstructed by craving.” [Ignorance] [Craving]
13. “Did anyone ever need a knee replacement as a result of being on retreat? Is it okay to set up a few more chairs? Metta to knees everywhere.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Health] [Meditation retreats] [Posture/Sitting] [Goodwill] // [Pain] [Ajahn Pasanno]
3. “Can you speak more about posture? I’ve noticed when fatigued and I slump a tad, my breath seems to be most noticeable and stuck at the slump. Also, when I notice my body pulsating, should I allow movement or hold steady?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Posture/Sitting ] [Sloth and torpor] [Mindfulness of breathing] [Meditation/Unusual experiences] // [Rapture] [Right Effort] [Energy] [Tranquility] [Mindfulness of body] [Body scanning]
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.” [Learning] [Energy]
Recollection: Ajahn Khao walked meditation for nine hours a day. [Ajahn Khao] [Monastic routine]
14. “As is usual when on retreat, the desire to reordain arises. However, it is understood that one must be free of debt before ordaining. Does this also include student loans from the government? Also, when reordaining, with whom should one do so if one has multiple teachers? Should it be with the most senior? Is there any protocol in this? Also, papiap and kneeling are not possible for any real duration. Is this a problem?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ordination] [Commerce/economics] [Monastic teachers] [Posture/Sitting] // [Monastic life] [Abhayagiri]
13. “Can you please speak about dealing with physical pain during a sit (particularly back pain and headaches)?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Pain] [Posture/Sitting]
9. “How can one work with feeling the element of water in sitting or walking meditation?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Elements] [Posture/Sitting] [Posture/Walking]
5. “How does one work with dullness and drowsiness in sitting meditation?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Sloth and torpor] [Posture/Sitting] // [Hindrances] [Ajahn Buddhadāsa] [Ajahn Chah] [Posture/Walking] [Culture/Natural environment] [Posture/Standing] [Continuity of mindfulness]
Sutta: AN 7.58 Capala Sutta: “Are you nodding, Moggallana?” [Great disciples]
Story: Ajahn Pasanno walks in the forest without a flashlight to dispel drowsiness. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Dtao Dum] [Devotion to wakefulness]
3. “Is walking meditation as ‘good’ as sitting meditation. Can one achieve the level of undistractedness that one needs to be able to investigate the human experience? Or is it part of the bigger picture of mindfulness for seven full days to experience stream entry?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Posture/Walking] [Posture/Sitting] [Insight meditation] [Stream entry] // [Meditation/General advice] [Continuity of mindfulness] [Concentration]
Stories about Ajahn Khao. [Ajahn Khao ]
Story: Walking meditation was Ajahn Khao’s preferred mode of practice. [Ajahn Khao ]
Story: Ajahn Khao’s relics were purple, clear, and incredibly beautiful. [Ajahn Khao ] [Relics] [Abhayagiri]
Recollection: Ajahn Khao expresses gratitude for the place he realized Awakening. [Ajahn Khao ] [Liberation] [Gratitude] [Lodging] [Bodhi Tree]
11. “Is it a good remedy to sit with eyes open when afflicted with sloth and torpor? Standing? Any other ideas?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Sloth and torpor ] [Posture/Sitting] [Posture/Standing] // [Buddho mantra] [Three Refuges] [Perception of light] [Mudra]
Quote: “With sloth and torpor, we want to give the mind enough work so that it can engage itself in the activity of meditation.” [Energy]
3. “What is the significance of sitting to one side of the Buddha?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Debbie Stamp. [Sutta] [Buddha] [Posture/Sitting] // [Respect] [Cultural context] [Robes]
4. “Does jhāna arise only in seated meditation?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Posture/Sitting] [Jhāna]
Reference: Collected Teachings of Ajahn Chah, p. 332: Ajahn Chah talks about developing jhāna factors in walking meditation. [Ajahn Chah] [Posture/Walking]
7. “I practice the brahmavihāras, and not just on the cushion. How do these relate to jhāna?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Divine Abidings] [Posture/Sitting] [Posture/Walking] [Jhāna] // [Continuity of mindfulness] [Skillful qualities]
Quote: “You can sit on your cushion for a long time. Chickens sit for a long time, and they don’t get enlightened!” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Posture/Sitting] [Liberation] [Animal]
11. Comment: I meditate much better kneeling than lying in bed. [Posture/Sitting] [Posture/Lying down]
Response by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Ajahn Viradhammo]