Questions (pañhā)
Teaching Dhamma / Questions 
Part of tag cluster Teaching Dhamma in key topic Teaching and Teachers
33 excerpts, 1:52:29 total duration




Metta Retreat, Session 1 – Sep. 9, 2008

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1. Quote: “It looks like there’s a veritable blizzard of questions. That’s always encouraging.” — Ajahn Pasanno. [Questions]


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8. Quote: “I appreciate people’s questions. I enjoy the questions, and I never quite know what’s going to come out when people present a question. It’s interesting to me as well.” — Ajahn Pasanno. [Questions ] [Ajahn Pasanno]


Metta Retreat, Session 4 – Sep. 12, 2008

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20. “I’m glad that people have questions and people are reflecting on their experience of what the practice is. It’s very heartening to see.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Questions] [Appropriate attention] [Empathetic joy]


Recollections of Ajahn Chah, Session 11 – Sep. 19, 2010

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2. “Did you as a Westerner have any difficulties meeting Ajahn Chah either with Buddhism or with Thailand? How did it get resolved or did it get resolved?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Culture/West] [Theravāda] [Culture/Thailand] [Ajahn Chah]

Story: Ajahn Chah replies evasively when asked three straightforward questions to teach his translator (Ajahn Pasanno) a lesson. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Aversion] [Questions] [Simplicity] [Teaching Dhamma] [Food] [Suffering]


Thanksgiving Retreat 2010, Session 8 – Nov. 27, 2010

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28. Comment: Not only has the Saṅgha practiced well, it has also questioned well. Much gratitude to you all for holding the space, and to Ajahn Pasanno and his crew for an enlightening retreat. May we all grow in Dhamma for the benefit of all beings. [Saṅgha] [Questions] [Gratitude]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Desire] [Teaching Dhamma]


The Gradual Training, Session 2 – Oct. 20, 2012

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8. “How do we know when to ask for directions on the path as opposed to just continuing farther? What would we ask?” Answered by Ajahn Yatiko. [Questions] [Practicing in accordance with Dhamma] [Gradual Teaching] // [Suffering] [Discernment] [Conditionality] [Faith]

Sutta: SN 12.23: Suffering is the cause of faith.

Follow-up: “What about when things are pleasant, but we’re not headed in the right direction?” [Happiness] [Mindfulness] [Deva] [Relinquishment]

Sutta: MN 75: Simile of the leper. [Similes]

Sutta: SN 56.35: Stream entry after 100 years. [Stream entry] [Four Noble Truths]


The Fourth Foundation of Mindfulness, Session 21 – Feb. 5, 2013

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3. “Have any teachers explained the meaning of the questions in MN 109?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Questions] [Aggregates]

Commentarial explanation of the context of MN 109. [Questions] [Teaching Dhamma] [Culture/India] [Views] [Culture/West] [Christianity]

Sutta: DN 1: Brahmajāla Sutta.


The Fourth Foundation of Mindfulness, Session 30 – Feb. 17, 2013

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1. Comment: MN 35 demonstrates how the Buddha asks questions to elicit people’s reactions and train them. [Buddha/Biography] [Questions] [Teaching Dhamma]

Reference: Skill in Questions by Ajahn Ṭhānissaro.


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2. “Why do the Buddha’s listeners immediately reply that what is impermanent is suffering?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Questions] [Impermanence] [Suffering] // [Translation]

Sutta: SN 22.59 Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta (Chanting book translation).


Abhayagiri Monastic Retreat 2013, Session 6 – Nov. 28, 2013

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11. “Would you please describe the four ways of skillfully answering or asking questions or the different types of questions?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Questions]


Abhayagiri Monastic Retreat 2013, Session 7 – Nov. 29, 2013

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13. “Would you kindly review the four ways to respond to questions?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Questions]

Reference: Skill in Questions by Ajahn Ṭhānissaro.


The Middle Way of Not-Self, Session 1 – May. 27, 2015

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3. “The Buddha didn’t answer the question, ‘Is there a self?’ But this question seems more important than other questions he didn’t answer. How should we relate to not-self?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Buddha/Biography] [Questions] [Not-self ] // [Teaching Dhamma] [Feeling] [Relinquishment] [Self-identity view] [Four Noble Truths] [Views]


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14. Comment: I’ve found it helpful to recognize that for me there aren’t any right answers, only right questions. [Culture/West] [Questions] [Not-self]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Self-identity view]


2015 Thanksgiving Monastic Retreat, Session 2 – Nov. 22, 2015

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2. “Praise for the question and answer session. Every question is important; can you answer them all?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Questions] // [Meditation retreats]


2015 Thanksgiving Monastic Retreat, Session 8 – Nov. 28, 2015

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12. “Have you ever put a publication together on the retreat questions? Are the talks of this retreat being recorded?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Meditation retreats] [Questions] [Dhamma recordings] // [Internet] [Dhamma books]

Reference: Abundant, Exalted, Immeasurable by Ajahn Pasanno transcribes the talks and questions from the 2008 Metta Retreat.


Western Disciples of the Thai Forest Tradition, Session 26 – Feb. 10, 2016

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6. The Buddha taught not-self by encouraging his disciples to ask these questions. [Teaching Dhamma] [Not-self] [Questions] [Philosophy]

Sutta: SN 22.59 Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta questionnaire (Chanting Book translation).

Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Questions] [Skillful qualities] [Ajahn Chah]


Western Disciples of the Thai Forest Tradition, Session 27 – Feb. 11, 2016

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4. “When dealing with pain, could you give examples of the questions you would ask yourself?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Kaccāna. [Pain] [Questions] [Investigation of states] // [Visualization] [Ajahn Ṭhānissaro] [Elements]


Western Disciples of the Thai Forest Tradition, Session 46 – Mar. 14, 2016

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3. “What does a delusion type of person look like?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno, Tan Jāgaro and Ajahn Kaccāna. [Delusion] // [Doubt] [Views]

Story: An anagārika with endless questions. Told by Ajahn Jotipālo. [Postulants] [Ajahn Amaro] [Questions]


Western Disciples of the Thai Forest Tradition, Session 56 – Mar. 28, 2016

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1. “What is a good question to pose to yourself to investigate perception?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Perception] [Questions] // [Ajahn Ṭhānissaro]


The Teaching and the Training, Session 11 – Mar. 29, 2018

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7. “So you’ve asked all your questions?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Questions] [Teaching Dhamma] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Monastic life]


The New Ajahn Chah Biography, Session 3 – Apr. 21, 2018

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8. Comment by Ajahn Ñāṇiko: But in a sense Por Am had wisdom, questioning Ajahn Chah from every possible angle. [Ajahn Chah] [Questions] [Discernment]

Reference: Stillness Flowing by Ajahn Jayasaro, p. 647

Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Thai] [Wat Pah Pong]


Honoring the Buddha: The Mahāparinibbāna Sutta – Apr. 25, 2021

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2. “What is the origin of asking a question three times?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Questions] [Teaching Dhamma] [Sutta] [Buddha/Biography]

Sutta: AN 4.42: Questions


Madison Insight Retreat 2023, Session 3 – Oct. 15, 2023

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1. Ajahn Pasanno mentions the Question and Story Archive. [Questions] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Abhayagiri] [Dhamma online]


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4. “Would you be willing to share memories of Ajahn Chah?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] // [Ajahn Pasanno ] [Temporary ordination] [Personality] [Not-self] [Equanimity]

When asked about the core essence of the Buddha’s teachings, Ajahn Chah replies, “Is this a big stick or a little stick?” [Teaching Dhamma] [Conventions] [Cause of Suffering]

Story: Ajahn Chah pretends to forget simple questions in order to embarrass his translator. [Forest versus city monks] [Media] [Aversion] [Questions] [Translation] [Similes]

Recollection: Ajahn Pasanno writes to his family that he’s staying in Thailand because Ajahn Chah is peaceful, solid, clear, and unshakeable in the midst of all that’s going on around him. [Family] [Tranquility] [Clear comprehension]


28th Anniversary Practice and Study Day, Session 6 – Jun. 1, 2024

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8. I arrived when Abhayagiri turned five. Recollection by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Ajahn Ñāṇiko ] [Abhayagiri] // [Ajahn Karuṇadhammo] [Ajahn Sudanto] [Ordination] [Debbie Stamp] [Sīladharā]

Recollection: The little house was the beating heart of Abhayagiri. [Lodging] [Ajahn Amaro] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Questions] [Gratitude] [Goodwill]

Quote: “I want to ordain. What do I do?” — Ajahn Ñāṇiko’s first email to the Abhayagiri guestmonk. [Ajahn Achalo] [Idealism]

Story: “Look, I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to practice.” [Spiritual friendship]

Quote: “Don’t think about it too much.” — Ajahn Pasanno to Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Monastic life/Motivation] [Proliferation]


Kathina Q&A with the Chithurst Community, Session 1 – Oct. 11, 2025

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10. “How do we recognize when we’re being taken advantage of when we’re trying to offer compassion? How do we draw a line to maintain our compassion without it impeding?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Abuse/violence] [Compassion ] // [Discernment] [Ajahn Chah] [Fierce/direct teaching]

Suttas: SN 22.86.13; MN 22.37.

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Reflection: The qualities of the Buddha: wisdom, compassion, purity. [Recollection/Buddha ] [Arahant] [Pūjā]

Reference: Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 3: Homage to the Buddha. [Recollection/Buddha ]

Story: A person asks the same question four times. [Questions]