4. “The Buddha said, ‘I teach one thing.’ If one overcomes the hindrances, eliminating the conditions that lead to dukkha, what is the focus on the Four Noble Truths, Three Characteristics, Foundations of Mindfulness, etc.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Hindrances] [Suffering] [Cessation of Suffering] [Four Noble Truths] [Characteristics of existence] // [Eightfold Path] [Happiness]
Sutta: AN 6.63.42: Two results of suffering. [Suffering]
Note: SN 22.86 and other suttas where the Buddha says, ‘I teach suffering and the end of suffering,’ do not mention ‘one thing.’
9. “How do we work with self-destructive and harmful repetitive patterns in our life? We can’t really force change.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Habits ] [Unskillful qualities] // [Craving not to become] [Drawbacks] [Suffering] [Self-identity view]
Sutta: AN 6.63.42: Two results of suffering. [Suffering]
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. [Suffering]
Follow-up: “What about when things are pleasant, but we’re not headed in the right direction?” [Happiness] [Suffering] [Mindfulness] [Deva] [Relinquishment]
Sutta: MN 75.13: Simile of the leper. [Similes]
Sutta: SN 56.35: Stream entry after 100 years. [Stream entry] [Four Noble Truths]
8. “I have greatly appreciated the teachings on non-proliferation, especially Ajahn Karuṇadhammo’s answer to last night’s question regarding the underlying feeling that is often present and driving a particular proliferation. I live with an autoimmune disease which currently requires frequent adjustments to my medications. … It is quite a conundrum to care for this body and track the various symptoms, all of which I find unpleasant, and yet not to proliferate on what needs to happen next. Going to the body in my practice, while useful, is not reliably calming, and sometimes seems to add fuel to the fire. This retreat I have been practicing with Right View and Right Understanding by repeating key phrases from the daily talks and have experienced what feels like a very deep insight at times. Do you have any words of guidance for when I go off retreat on working with this human body and this all-too-human mind?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Proliferation] [Feeling] [Sickness] [Pain] [Mindfulness of body] [Right View] [Right Intention] // [Suffering] [Ajahn Chah] [Restlessness and worry] [Gladdening the mind]
Sutta: SN 36.6: Shot by two arrows. [Suffering]
Simile from Collected Teachings of Ajahn Chah, p. 159: Being injected with poison. [Suffering] [Similes]
Quote: “It can still be uncomfortable, but it doesn’t have to be complicated.”
6. “I find I do need some pleasures even though they don’t last, things like fine arts and being in nature. I’m curious, how did you manage as a monk in your early years at Ajahn Chah’s monastery where there’s almost no pleasure. … How did you manage to keep going over the years until the present?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Sensual desire] [Artistic expression] [Culture/Natural environment] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Monastic life] [Ajahn Chah] [Food] [Entertainment and adornment] [Monastic life/Motivation] // [Cessation of Suffering] [Happiness ] [Simplicity ] [Association with people of integrity] [Empathetic joy] [Human] [Hindrances] [Jhāna] [Virtue] [Discernment]
Quote: “One of the extraordinary perks of being a monk is that everyone tries to be good around you.”
Sutta: MN 36.32: “Why am I afraid of that happiness?” [Buddha/Biography] [Ascetic practices] [Suffering] [Skillful qualities] [Eightfold Path]
Quote: “As a monk, I can look back on forty years of living in a way where I don’t have to feel remorseful or regret anything.”
4. “Could you say more about the positive causal process that is the opposite of paticcasamuppāda?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Dependent origination] [Conditionality] [Mindfulness] // [Skillful qualities] [Right Mindfulness] [Factors of Awakening]
Sutta: SN 12.23 Upanisa: Dukkha is a cause for faith. [Suffering] [Faith]
Sutta: AN 10.61 Avijjā: The Five Hindrances are a cause for ignorance. [Hindrances] [Ignorance]
1. “Could you explain the simile of the embers in regards to sensuality?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Similes] [Pain] [Sensual desire] // [Concentration] [Liberation]
Sutta: SN 36.6: The Dart. An undeveloped person knows no escape from dukkha other than sensual pleasure. [Suffering]
11. “I came across a section of The Island talking about the Tenfold Path (p. 235). Could you speak a little bit about the last two (Right Knowledge and Right Liberation)?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Eightfold Path] [Knowledge and vision] [Liberation] // [Suffering]
Sutta: MN 22.37: “I teach dukkha and the end of dukkha.” [Suffering]
9. “My question is about the amount or type of suffering left when one reaches stream entry. In the last many years of my affiliation with Abhayagiri and Ajahn Chah, an immense amount of suffering has been resolved and fell away. … Is [the remaining suffering] different for different people or are there specific characteristics or defilements that need burning or dissolving?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Stream entry] [Suffering] [Sickness] // [Self-identity view] [Relinquishment] [Attachment to precepts and practices] [Doubt]
Sutta: SN 13.1: The amount of suffering left for one who has entered the stream. [Suffering] [Similes]
4. “How do you make death a part of your life and meditation? How can we work towards having a peaceful death, noting that ill-health can cause pain?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Recollection/Death ] [Death] [Sickness] [Pain] // [Human] [Aversion] [Naturalness] [Suffering] [Discernment] [Ageing] [Liberation]
Sutta: SN 36.6: The two arrows. [Suffering] [Similes]
Quote: “Contemplating death is contemplating who we are not.” [Not-self]
6. “You mentioned [existentialism/eternalism] and nihilism as familiar Western philosophical ideas. I understand that Buddhism’s approach is not one or the other. How do other Western philosophical ideas like solipsism or materialism sit?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro and Ajahn Pasanno. [Philosophy ] [Middle Path] // [God] [Humor] [Views] [Suffering] [Cessation of Suffering] [Teaching Dhamma]
Sutta: SN 22.86: “I teach suffering and the end of suffering.” [Suffering]
Comment: Philosophy usually tries to create a philosophy from which you pull down how to live your life, but the Buddha is the other way around.
Sutta: DN 1: Sixty-two wrong views.
3. “When you contemplate some situation, as long as there is still some tension or some feeling, does that mean that you did not come to the right understanding of it, but once you understand the situation, there would be no unpleasant, painful feelings about it?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro. [Pain] [Recollection] [Discernment] [Cessation of Suffering] // [Defilements of insight] [Clinging] [Suffering] [Grief]
Sutta: SN 36.6: Simile of the two arrows. [Suffering] [Similes]
Suttas: MN 53.5; AN 10.67: The Buddha stretches his back. [Buddha/Biography]
Sutta: SN 47.14: “The assembly appears empty to me now.” [Great disciples] [Death] [Characteristics of existence]
1. “Have you had experiences of clarifying motivation that go beyond the theoretical or abstract?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Spiritual urgency] // [Ajahn Chah] [Wat Pah Pong] [Relinquishment]
Quote: “Was it suffering?” — Ajahn Chah. [Suffering] [Self-identity view]
Story: Ajahn Chah used ancient stones to mark the Wat Pah Pong sīmā. [Sīmā]
Quote: “Are these rocks heavy?” — Ajahn Chah. [Suffering] [Cessation of Suffering]
Sutta: SN 22.86: Dukkha and the ending of dukkha. [Suffering]