{90} “What are the biggest misconceptions about being ordained?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life ] // [Selfishness ]
Story: Ajahn Pasanno visits Ajahn Buddhadāsa: “Don’t be selfish!” [Ajahn Buddhadāsa] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Selfishness ]
6. “Please explain how to cultivate muditā. I’ve heard it described as ‘poor man’s happiness.’” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Empathetic joy ] [Happiness] // [Divine Abidings] [Jealousy] [Selfishness]
12. “Some monks have told me I’m selfish for being so focused on release. They say I should help others more. What are your thoughts?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Release] [Selfishness] [Generosity] // [Idealism]
10. “Any advice for cures for burnout? I’m in a helping profession and feel depleted and exhausted. I need help getting the balance between giving and receiving.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Depression] [Work] [Health] [Generosity] [Compassion ] // [Culture/West] [Idealism] [Commentaries] [Selfishness]
Quote: “Compassion in the English language means ‘to suffer with.’ If you end up suffering with too much, you end up burnt out.” [Language] [Suffering]
Quote: “Don’t think you’re a ten-wheeled dump truck when all you are is a wheelbarrow.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah]
Commentary: Path of Purification by Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli, p. 291: Classical cultivation of goodwill and compassion, first to yourself. [Goodwill]
Quote: “Our ability to be with others and to help and to give is dependent on our being kind and compassionate to ourselves.” [Spiritual friendship] [Self-reliance ]
11. “Is sexuality and wanting an intimate connection with another considered a negative desire?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Sensual desire] [Relationships] [Desire] [Unskillful qualities] // [Food] [Clear comprehension] [Compassion] [Selfishness] [Discernment] [Precepts] [Trust]
Quote: “It’s not so much a matter of thwarting desire, but understanding how desire works so we can build those bonds of trust and care.”
4. “I was wondering if the merit we have done for meditation practice can be dedicated to the people (dead or alive) we pray for? How do we know it? Also, I have heard that the merit from practicing meditation will accumulate and stay with ones who have practiced that, which also carries over throughout the life or the subsequent incarnations. Can you clarify this?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Merit] [Prayer] [Rebirth] // [Theravāda] [Mahāyāna] [Vajrayāna] [Science] [Faith] [Selfishness]
Stories told by Ajahn Paññānanda about dedication of merit. [Ajahn Paññānanda] [Culture/Thailand] [Superstition] [Death]
18. “I often feel overwhelmed with the greed, hatred, ill-will, and delusion that the corporate world exerts over the masses to the benefit of only themselves and that is destroying the planet’s ability to renew itself. Could you speak about Buddhist involvement in social change movements?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Politics and society] [Activism] [Unwholesome Roots] [Commerce/economics] [Selfishness] [Environment] // [Truth] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Non-profit organizations]
Ajahn Pasanno reflects on the results of his efforts to preserve forests in Thailand. [Geography/Thailand] [Learning] [Greed] [Corruption]
Quote: “Can I set an example myself and can I help encourage other people who are interested?”
14. “What are the biggest misconceptions about being ordained?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life ] // [Selfishness ]
Story: Ajahn Pasanno visits Ajahn Buddhadāsa: “Don’t be selfish!” [Ajahn Buddhadāsa] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Selfishness ]
7. Comment: As you were speaking, an image, a thought, occured to me: I felt all of my ancestors as far back as possible standing behind me and all of my future generations as far ahead as possible including my own future lives. I saw a pathway filled with human and other beings thankful for you presence. My heart was filled with joy and gratitude. I bowed to the floor. [Visualization] [Time] [Rebirth] [Gratitude]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Selfishness] [Self-identity view]
4. “Can you talk about how to balance the Pāli Canon’s emphasis on seclusion (e.g. Snp 1.3: A Rhinoceros) and practicing for one’s own benefit with having a relationship with the world? You gave a talk called ‘It’s About More Than Just Us.’” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Seclusion] [Community] [Selfishness] // [Culture/West] [Culture/India]
Teaching from Ajahn Chah: It’s like people are walking along a road, When they go off to the left, I say, “Go right, go right!” When they go off to the right, I say, “Go left, go left!” [Ajahn Chah] [Middle Path] [Jack Kornfield]
Sutta: SN 45.2: Half of the Holy Life. [Spiritual friendship]
Quote: “How do we not suffer in any circumstance?” [Cessation of Suffering]
12. “Are there any misunderstandings of Buddhism that have developed as it comes to the West that you would correct?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Culture/West] // [Monastic life] [Selfishness] [Community] [Environment] [Abhayagiri] [Dogmatism]
19. “When one moves through the world with compassion and lovingkindness, how does one avoid feeling depleted? In a world of ‘individuals,’ most take more than they give and to always be giving can be exhausting.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Compassion] [Goodwill] [Selfishness] [Generosity] [Depression] // [Not-self] [Four Noble Truths] [Cause of Suffering]
Quote: “When we are attentive to freedom from suffering, there’s an inexhaustible well of goodness there.” [Cessation of Suffering] [Skillful qualities]
15. “Having lived in Thailand for over 20 years and in America for 30 years, do you see any American patterns of dukkha, ways that Americans get caught?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Culture/West] [Suffering] // [Self-identity view] [Selfishness] [Judgementalism] [Conceit] [Relinquishment]
Quote: “I can never get enlightened.” — Ajahn Sumedho. [Ajahn Sumedho] [Liberation]
Quote: “The ‘I’ does not have inherent existence. We have to make it. And then we have to look after it.” [Not-self]