10 excerpts, 43:53 total duration
1. “This morning I had my brightest, deepest, most still meditation ever. As I sensed the hour coming to an end, I counted my breaths down to 100, knowing you would ring the bell during that time. When I got to zero, no bell. So I decided to hold my breath until I heard the bell. Luckily, you rang it right then. What did the Buddha teach regarding synchronicities?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Time] // [Concentration] [Psychic powers]
Sutta: AN 4.77: Inconceivable Matters.
14. “In one meditation, I had the sure knowledge for a few moments that all the versions of me throughout life until the present were and are fabrications, that there is no time but the present and nothing but experience through the six sense bases and what the mind makes of it. Then a big wave of fear came into the mind, “I’m going nuts, coming unglued, unhinged, unmoored!” I swam back to safety. Was I going nuts? Or if this was experiential insight, why so scary? What allows insight to be stabilized and integrated?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Insight meditation] [Time] [Not-self] [Fear] // [Self-identity view] [Habits] [Gradual Teaching] [Spiritual friendship] [Characteristics of existence]
Sutta: The Buddha is a kalyāṇa-mitta for the world. [Buddha]
11. “Would you please explain bhāvanā-mayā paññā? What exactly is it? Does it only happen when we are at least a sotāpanna or can it happen to a puthujjana? Does it only happen in one mind-moment and may happen again or does it stay with you once it happens?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Meditation] [Discernment] [Stream entry] [Time] [Impermanence] [Insight meditation] // [Commentaries] [Hearing the true Dhamma]
Note: A retreatant later explains that DN 33.1.10 mentions the three kinds of wisdom.
5. Discussion of the concept of eternity in SN 22.96. [Impermanence] [Time]
3. “I have trouble taking refuge in the Buddha in the here and now as it is an abstract concept for me. Can you explain the line in the Homage to the Buddho ‘Buddho bhagavā,’ translated as ‘He is awake and holy’ (Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 4)? Tonight’s planned Verses on Respect for the Dhamma (Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 77) also refers to this concept: ‘All the Buddhas of the past / All the Buddhas yet to come / The Buddha of this current age.’” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Three Refuges] [Buddha] [Previous Buddhas] [Chanting] // [Aversion] [Self-identity view] [Proliferation] [Contentment] [Pāli] [Translation] [Liberation] [Recollection/Dhamma] [Culture/India] [Compassion] [Culture/West] [Time]
Sutta: AN 4.36: Doṇa Sutta: “Know me as one who is awake.” [Realms of existence]
Reflections on the translation of Buddha in the Thai chanting book. [Thai] [Knowing itself] [Happiness]
Sutta: AN 3.136: “Whether a Buddha appears in the world or not …” [Characteristics of existence]
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]
7. “I often hear the saying that we live in the Dhamma Ending Age, that cultivation is difficult, chaos is everywhere, and Dhamma declines. What are your thoughts on this?” Answered by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Dhamma] [Time] // [Theravāda] [Master Hsuan Hua] [Determination] [Ajahn Baen] [Buddha]
Sutta: A 4.77: The four imponderables.
Sutta: DN 16.5.27: If people are practicing the Noble Eightfold Path, the world will not be devoid of arahants. [Eightfold Path] [Arahant]
7. “One of the descriptions of Dhamma is ‘here and now.’ Have you had an equivalent insight into now-ness? (Refers to the previous story about here-ness.)” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Dhamma] [Ajahn Amaro] [Insight meditation] [Time] // [Impermanence] [Not-self] [Conventions]
Reference: The Sixth Patriarch’s Dharma Jewel Platform Sutra.
5. Comment: “The principle of letting go is that nothing is destroyed … we are not buying into the future.” [Relinquishment] [Clinging] [Buddha] [Death]
Response by Ajahn Amaro. [Stream entry] [Aggregates]
Quote: “A samaṇa is one with no future.” — Ajahn Chah. Quoted by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Perception of a samaṇa] [Time]
1. “In light of AN 6.98, is Nibbāna permanent? Is it possible to pay attention to what’s happening and notice what isn’t changing?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro. [Nibbāna] [Impermanence] // [Time] [Dhamma]
Sutta: Ud 8.3: Nibbāna Sutta (Chanting Book translation).
Quote: “Permanence isn’t the same as timelessness.” — Ajahn Amaro. [Time]