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1. Reflection: Ajahn Chah inspired people to be willing to commit to practice and training. [Monastic life/Motivation] [Determination] [Ajahn Chah] // [Ajahn Pasanno] [Fourfold Assembly] [Relinquishment]
2. Recollection: Ajahn Pasanno writes to his parents that he will stay with Ajahn Chah for five years because he wants to pick up Ajahn Chah’s peace and unshakeability. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Monastic life/Motivation] [Sequence of training] [Equanimity] [Ajahn Chah]
3. “When Luang Por Chah’s physical condition deteriorated and he was no longer physically active, how did the Saṅgha and lay community react to it? And how did you feel about it? How did the Saṅgha manage to organize new leadership? Any challenges, confusions, or conflicts?” [Sickness] [Saṅgha] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Leadership] [Ajahn Chah] [Conflict] // [Impermanence] [Saṅgha decision making] [Grief] [Wat Pah Pong] [Ajahn Liem]
Recollection: Ajahn Chah told the Saṅgha that his illness was incurable and they would have to look after him. [Health care ]
I did my grieving when Ajahn Chah was still alive and sick. Recollection by Ajahn Pasanno. [Death]
Recollection: Caring for Ajahn Chah as a community. [Health care ] [Mae Chee] [Communal harmony]
Recollection: Preparing for Ajahn Chah’s funeral. [Funerals] [Building projects] [Ajahn Chah Stupa]
Quote: “His example was always one of giving himself to what was of benefit to the Dhamma, to the Vinaya, to others. There was so little personal agenda and personal preferences ever shown.” [Generosity]
4. Story: A group of military generals ask Ajahn Chah to bless some medallions. [Ajahn Chah] [Amulets] // [Wat Pah Pong] [Food] [Saṅgha decision making] [Relics] [Ajahn Chah Stupa] [Funerals]
5. “What do you treasure most among what you/we have inherited from Luang Por Chah?” [Ajahn Pasanno] [Ajahn Chah]
Quote: “He had given himself completely, and he had reaped the fruits completely.” [Relinquishment] [Liberation]
6. “What were the criteria for founding new branch monasteries at Ajahn Chah’s time?” [Ajahn Chah monasteries] [Saṅgha decision making] [Ajahn Chah] // [Wat Keuan] [Environment] [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support] [Ajahn Anek] [Wat Pah Sai Ngam] [Faith] [Wat Phu Din Dang]
7. “How did Luang Por Chah cultivate his wisdom (satipañña)? How did he generate his energy (viriya)?” [Discernment] [Energy] [Ajahn Chah] // [Doubt] [Teaching Dhamma]
Quote: “He was always curious to reflect, to investigate, to experiment, to try out things and to see what worked and what didn’t work.” [Personality] [Appropriate attention]
8. “How did Luang Por Chah relate to the lay community around him and tailor the Dhamma to their own circumstances?” [Lay life] [Teaching Dhamma] [Ajahn Chah] // [Wat Pah Pong] [Lunar observance days] [Building projects] [Cultural context] [Stories]
Story: Ajahn Chah’s talkative older brother helps with their mother’s funeral. [Family] [Funerals]
9. “Is there a story about when Ajahn Chah wanted to give feedback to a senior monk and he waited 20-30 years?” [Admonishment/feedback] [Ajahn Chah] // [Culture/Thailand]
10. “Were there any memories from the period of training with Ajahn Chah that really stand out in your mind? In what ways did you find it difficult?” [Ajahn Pasanno] [Monastic life] [Ajahn Chah]
Story: Ajahn Pasanno skips morning pūjā to meditate diligently at his kuti. Ajahn Chah calls him lazy. [Monastic routine]
Story: Ajahn Pasanno sits vigil at a cremation and makes a bathing cloth from the cloth used to wrap a corpse. [Funerals ] [Robes ] [Wat Pah Pong] [Recollection/Death]
Story: Ajahn Pasanno joins the Wat Pah Pong Saṅgha, exchanges his requisites, and excitedly attends his first Pāṭimokkha at Wat Pah Pong. Ajahn Chah keeps the monks sitting until 3 am. [Vinaya] [Requisites] [Not handling money] [Pāṭimokkha] [Compassion] [Relinquishment]
2. Recollection: Ajahn Chah was a memorable person; his influence has spread around the world. [Ajahn Chah lineage] [Ajahn Chah] // [Faith] [Ajahn Sumedho]
3. Recollection: My introduction to Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Ajahn Chah] // [Temporary ordination] [Travel] [Wat Phleng Vipassanā] [Forest versus city monks]
4. Recollection: Ajahn Chah’s community in 1975. [Ajahn Chah lineage] [Ajahn Chah] // [Wat Pah Pong ] [Western Ajahn Chah lineage] [Thai Ajahn Chah monasteries] [Isan] [Personal presence]
5. Recollection: Ajahn Chah taught by example, but put the focus on the monastic training and community. [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] [Ajahn Chah] // [Humility]
Quote: “He was unique in his ability to draw people in without it having to be about him.” [Personal presence ] [Personality]
6. Recollection: Why I stayed with Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Determination] [Ajahn Chah] // [Family] [Sequence of training] [Equanimity] [Personal presence]
7. Recollection: He was always willing to push us beyond what we thought we could do. [Fierce/direct teaching] [Ajahn Chah] // [Intuition]
Quote: “I hope you’re not afraid of suffering. ... If you’re afraid of suffering, you’re not going to grow in wisdom here.” — Ajahn Chah to Jack Kornfield. [Jack Kornfield] [Fear] [Suffering] [Discernment]
Quote: “If you want to stay here, you have to stay at least five years.” — Ajahn Chah to Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Sequence of training] [Determination]
Story: Ajahn Chah asks the young Ajahn Pasanno to become abbot of Wat Pah Nanachat. [Wat Pah Nanachat] [Abbot] [Sickness]
8. Reflection: Amaravati and other monasteries are offshoots of Ajahn Chah’s gift of monastic training where people can continue to practice. [Monastic life] [Ajahn Chah monasteries] [Ajahn Chah]
9. Recollection: Ajahn Pasanno’s first lunar observance night at Wat Pah Pong. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Wat Pah Pong] [Lunar observance days] [Ajahn Chah] // [Monastic life] [Pace of life] [Patience]
Quote: “You learn as you go. You expand your ability to go beyond the limitations you set for yourself.” [Learning]
Quote: “The more you resist and complain in your mind, the more you suffer.” [Aversion] [Suffering] [Habits]
10. Reflection: Ajahn Chah used the Vinaya rules as a basis to train in mindfulness and clear comprehension. [Vinaya] [Mindfulness] [Clear comprehension] [Ajahn Chah] // [Volition] [Perception of a samaṇa] [Protocols ] [Sense restraint] [Beauty] [Faith]
Story: Ajahn Chah demonstrates how to put down a yahm (monk’s shoulder bag). [Requisites] [Ajahn Sumedho]
Vinaya: Mahāvagga 1.23: Sariputta gains faith from Venerable Assiji’s demeanor. [Great disciples]
11. Reflection on Ajahn Chah’s ability to illustrate Dhamma. [Teaching Dhamma] [Similes] [Ajahn Chah]
Simile: Suffering is like continually tightening a bolt. [Suffering]
12. Reflection: Ajahn Chah’s compassion and empathy. [Compassion] [Ajahn Chah]
Quote: “I’ve been like that.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Munindo] [Suffering]
13. Recollection: Ajahn Chah enjoyed teasing people and playing with words. [Humor] [Ajahn Chah] // [Ajahn Gavesako] [Ajahn Amaro] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Compassion]
Stories: The Squirrel Story and the Donkey Story. [Kittisaro] [Monastic life] [Patience]
Note: Kittisaro tells these stories himself here.
14. Reflection: His leadership and his teaching came from his example. [Leadership] [Teaching Dhamma] [Ajahn Chah] // [Lunar observance days] [Devotion to wakefulness]
Recollection: Ajahn Chah sits until midnight despite having malaria. [Sickness] [Posture/Sitting] [Sitter's practice]
15. “When you first arrived at Ajahn Chah’s monastery, how did you communicate with him?” [Ajahn Pasanno] [Language] [Ajahn Chah] // [Ajahn Sumedho] [Translation] [Paul Breiter] [Thai] [Isan]
Story: Venerable Varapañño could recite the Pāṭimokkha perfectly. [Pāṭimokkha]
16. “Can you tell us more about Ajahn Chah’s background?” [Ajahn Chah] // [Wat Pah Pong] [Geography/Thailand] [Education] [Novices] [Ordination] [Ajahn Sao] [Forest versus city monks] [Death] [Ajahn Mun] [Thai sects]
Story: Six-year-old Chah plays at being a monk. [Monastic life]
17. “Can you speak about Luang Por Chah’s opinion about Thai superstitions and amulets?” [Culture/Thailand] [Superstition] [Amulets] [Ajahn Chah] // [Humor] [Ghost] [Generosity]
Story: A young supporter drafted into the military asks Ajahn Chah for protection. [Buddha images]
18. “What gave you the inspiration and strength of spirit to want to dedicate yourself to follow the way?” [Ajahn Pasanno] [Faith] [Determination] // [Suffering] [Spiritual search] [Culture/Thailand] [Travel] [Meditation/Results]
19. “In the draft of your biography, it says that growing up you felt you didn’t fit in with normal society. When you came to a Buddhist country and the monastery, did it feel like home?” [Ajahn Pasanno] [Culture/West] [Culture/Thailand] [Monastic life] // [Purpose/meaning]
20. “Nowadays we have so much information about Dhamma, whereas when you began, you talked about following an example. How much did being in the presence of someone like Ajahn Chah mean? Could we now overlook this since we have so much information?” [Dhamma online] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Mentoring] [Personal presence] [Ajahn Chah] // [Amaravati] [Aspects of Understanding]
21. “How did your becoming a monk go down with your family, and how did that affect you?” [Ajahn Pasanno] [Monastic life] [Family] // [Ajahn Jayasaro]
22. “People say that Westerners are much more individualistic than Asians. Do you think Ajahn Chah was good at understanding the Western way of thinking?” [Culture/West] [Culture/Asia] [Ajahn Chah]
[Session] Readings: AN 7.48.10: Saññā Sutta; SN 35.82: Loka; Ud 4.1: Meghiya; AN 1.136: Uppādā Sutta; SN 15.20: Mount Vepulla. [Impermanence]
1. Quote: “Whatever speech doesn’t take into account the reality of impermanence is not the speech of wise person.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Right Speech] [Discernment] [Impermanence]
2. Reflection: The sign of spiritual maturity is the inclination to disenchantment and relinquishment. [Meditation/Results] [Disenchantment] [Relinquishment] [Impermanence] // [Ajahn Chah]
3. When asked why there are thieves in Thailand, Ajahn Chah replies, “The Buddha didn’t tell them to do that. They do that themselves.” [Ajahn Chah] [Culture/Thailand] [Buddhist identity] [Stealing]
4. The perception of impermanence should be cultivated for the removal of the conceit “I am.” [Conceit] [Impermanence] // [Self-identity view] [Relinquishment] [Nibbāna] [Cessation of Suffering]
Quote: “Being right doesn’t lead one to freedom from suffering. Oftentimes it just makes you a pain in the butt.” [Views]
Sutta: Ud 4.1.21: Meghiya Sutta.
Sutta: AN 10.60.11: “This is peaceful, this is sublime ...”
5. Reflection: If you see the steadfastness and orderliness of the Dhamma, of the truth, it can free the heart. [Lawfulness] [Naturalness] [Liberation] [Impermanence] // [Pāli]
6. Quote: “No cracks, no Buddhism.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Stupas/monuments] [Impermanence] // [Recollection/Dhamma]
7. Reflection: Absorbing the truth, “Even the Sāsana will pass away,” doesn’t lead to a sense of dismay; it leads to wonder and the motivation, “How can I help others?” [Truth] [Spiritual urgency] [Compassion] [Suffering] [Impermanence] [Characteristics of existence]
Recollection: Ajahn Chah saw so clearly and was incredibly compassionate. [Ajahn Chah] [Fierce/direct teaching]
Quote: “What is the mind of an arahant like?” – “Only compassion.” — Ajahn Mahā Boowa. [Ajahn Mahā Boowa] [Ajahn Mun]
Quote: “Anicca, dukkha, and anattā are tools we rely on for transforming the heart.”
8. “I am’ and ego are very deeply embedded in our consciousness. You mentioned that observing impermanence could help. Are there any other practical steps we can take every day to dismantle ego and ‘I am?’” [Self-identity view] [Impermanence] // [Suffering] [Relinquishment] [Not-self]
Sutta: Ud 3.10: “For however one conceives it, it is always other than that.”
9. “If nothing is permanent, does that apply to the mind?” [Nature of mind] [Impermanence] // [Knowing itself] [Liberation]
Sutta: SN 12.61: You’d be better off taking the body as self.
10. “Is liberation impermanent?” [Liberation ] [Impermanence] // [Nibbāna]
11. “Is Nibbāna unconditioned? Can Nibbāna make a connection with you, or do you have to go to Nibbāna?” [Nibbāna] [Unconditioned ] [Impermanence] // [Characteristics of existence]
Sutta: Ud 8.3: Nibbāna Sutta (Chanting Book translation).
Quote: “The place where there’s no coming, no going, no standing still. What’s that?” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah]
12. “You mentioned that Ajahn Mahā Boowa has been a bit coarse with his disciples. Has your voice always been soft and kind and loving?” [Ajahn Mahā Boowa] [Fierce/direct teaching] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Compassion]
Quote: “Well, I hope I’ve gotten better. ... The early years of being the abbot of Wat Pah Nanachat, I was pretty insufferable.” [Wat Pah Nanachat] [Abbot]
13. “Could you talk about what to do with disenchantment? You may feel that you’re being lazy by not engaging with the world. ...” [Disenchantment] [Seclusion] // [Spiritual friendship] [Amaravati] [Abhayagiri] [Dhamma online]
Sutta: SN 45.2: Half of the Holy Life.
14. “I am interested to hear more about the qualities of wholeheartedness. You mentioned that the English language does not have a word that captures it. There’s something that can go from non-attachment/dispassion to apathy, which is not helpful in the world.” [Language] [Relinquishment] [Dispassion] [Sloth and torpor] [Impermanence] // [Disenchantment] [Skillful qualities] [Pāli] [Conditionality] [Abhidhamma]
Suttas: Suttas: AN 6.10, AN 10.2: The cascade of well being.
1. “What are the options for practicing with getting older, getting weaker, physically and mentally less resilient?” [Ageing ] // [Relinquishment] [Death] [Not-self]
Discussion of the natural environment at Chithurst and Amaravati. Led by Ajahn Cittapālā and Ajahn Pasanno. [Culture/Natural environment] [Chithurst] [Amaravati] [Weather]
2. “How to find a good balance between personal individual practice and helping the community? How have you practiced with this yourself, having had the role of abbot for such a long time?” [Meditation] [Service] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Abbot] // [Seclusion ] [Restlessness and worry] [Ajahn Sumedho] [Idealism] [Becoming] [Craving not to become] [Monastic routine]
Quote: “You really have to learn how to step back from your own mind and give attention to that sense of solid connection with the Dhamma practice.” [Dhamma]
Quote: “If we don’t really develop a sense of giving and sharing and lovingkindness and compassion, any amount of meditation that you do never really comes to much fruition.” [Generosity] [Goodwill]
3. “People often say that Amaravati is like an institution. What is a perspective on this?” [Amaravati ] [Saṅgha] [Monastery organizational structure] // [Ajahn Pasanno]
Reflection by Ajahn Pasanno, Ajahn Ahiṃsako and Ajahn Karuṇiko: The benefits and drawbacks of large monasteries. [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support] [Teaching Dhamma] [Christian monastics] [Wat Pah Nanachat] [Spiritual traditions]
Quote: “You don’t have to worry, Dad. Buddhism in Thailand isn’t organized.” — Ajahn Siripañño. [Ajahn Siripañño] [Culture/Thailand]
4. “If you had to choose one monastery in Thailand that you can always go back to, where you had the best moments or experiences, what would it be?” [Ajahn Pasanno] [Thai Ajahn Chah monasteries] // [Dtao Dum ] [Culture/Natural environment]
Story: Ajahn Pasanno has the intuition that his time in Thailand had come to an end. [Culture/Thailand] [Monastic life]
Story: Ajahn Pasanno’s decision to help with Abhayagiri. [Abhayagiri] [Ajahn Amaro] [Saṅghapāla] [Ajahn Karuṇadhammo]
5. “It sounds like you’re quite a community builder in various places. ... When I first came here (to Chithurst), I was struck by the way the community works amazingly well. Have you seen any examples of communities of laypeople living together based on monastic principles?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno, Ajahn Ahiṃsako, Sister Ñāṇasirī and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Community ] [Saṅgha] [Lay life] // [Precepts] [Vinaya] [Portland Friends of the Dhamma] [Amaravati] [Gaia House] [Culture/Thailand] [Upasikā Kee Nanayon] [Culture/West]
6. “How do you find it best to differentiate between true insights and insight defilements?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Cittapālā. [Insight meditation ] [Defilements of insight] // [Tranquility] [Relinquishment] [Simplicity]
Quote: “A really true insight—you don’t get anything from.” — Ajahn Pasanno.
7. “Can you offer any reflections about people’s tendency to measure samādhi, concentration, and jhāna and their doubt and discontent about how much is enough to develop insight?” [Calming meditation] [Concentration] [Jhāna] [Insight meditation] // [Craving] [Relinquishment] [Etymology] [Translation] [Right Mindfulness] [Right Effort]
Quote: “Samādhi is a holiday for the heart.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Sumedho]
Simile: Samādhi is like a chicken in a bamboo coop. [Similes] [Spaciousness] [Mindfulness]
Sutta: MN 44.12: The bases of samādhi.
Simile: Unification of mind is like a bowl of fruit. [Unification]
8. “Is that [developing samādhi; refer to the previous question] possible to do in a 24-hour period? I find it difficult to continuously do what you said, especially when I’m asleep.” [Concentration] [Continuity of mindfulness] // [Long-term practice]
9. Comment by Tan Candasaro: At Wat Pah Nanachat a monk asked you, “What advice would you have for young monastics on the path?” You replied, “Peaks and valleys, ups and downs.” [Monastic life] [Long-term practice]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno.
10. “Do you think the knowing of the peace of samādhi is always something which will be remembered? It gives a kind of confidence.” [Concentration] [Tranquility] [Faith] // [Purpose/meaning]
11. “Insights give a lot of confidence in the practice, a lot of trust. So when insights come, is it important to nourish them?” [Insight meditation] [Faith] // [Bases of Success] [Desire] [Discernment] [Craving] [Self-identity view] [The New Yorker] [Calvin and Hobbes]
1. “After more than 50 years, is the practice getting easier?” [Long-term practice ] [Ajahn Pasanno] // [Mindfulness] [Happiness]
2. “Could you offer some reflections on experiencing mind as mind in the Noble Eightfold Path?” [Eightfold Path] [Chanting] [Chithurst] [Amaravati] [Mindfulness of mind ] // [Noting] [Ajahn Ṭhānissaro] [Nature of mind] [Knowing itself]
Reference: Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 97.
Sutta: MN 10.34: Mindfulness of mind.
Follow-up: “Does this relate to Luang Por Dune’s reformulation of the Four Noble Truths where it says, ‘The mind seeing the mind?’” [Ajahn Dune] [Four Noble Truths] [Mindfulness of mind ]
Reference: Gifts He Left Behind by Ajahn Dune, p. 3.
Quote: “An inward-staying unentangled knowing.” — Upasikā Kee Nanayon. [Upasikā Kee Nanayon]
3. “Could you speak about the practice of being mindful of craving and allowing it to pass?” [Unskillful qualities] [Mindfulness] [Craving] [Cessation] // [Hindrances] [Relinquishment] [Recollection/Dhamma] [Faith] [Memory]
Quote: “If we don’t understand the obstacle, we can’t be free from it.” [Discernment] [Liberation]
Quote: “You’ve got to be really careful because the mind is a liar and a cheat.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Nature of mind] [Heedfulness]
4. “What practice would you recommend if you are too serious with your thinking?” [Delusion] // [Hindrances] [Heedfulness] [Heedlessness] [Cessation of Suffering]
5. “It seems like I’m using physical tension to block out emotion. When I try to put my attention on it, the mind goes blank or starts thinking about work. I don’t know what I’m avoiding. Any suggestions?” [Pain] [Emotion ] // [Mindfulness of body] [Mindfulness of breathing] [Concentration] [Translation] [Spaciousness] [Body scanning]
6. “How did you learn Pāli syntax?” [Pāli] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Learning]
7. “The Second Noble Truth, samudaya—do you know it as arising of suffering or origin of suffering or does it matter?” [Cause of Suffering ] // [Craving]
Sutta: SN 56.11.4: Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (Chanting book translation): “ever seeking fresh delight.”
8. “The Buddha had a quality of fearlessness. How can we understand fearlessness?” [Buddha] [Fear ] // [Non-identification] [Not-self] [Self-identity view] [Suffering]
Quote: “The core of fearlessness is not having a self, an I, a me, a mine that it’s trying to protect.”
9. “Could you say something about the name-and-form step in Dependent Origination?” [Aggregates ] [Dependent origination] // [Heart/mind] [Body/form] [Self-identity view] [Human] [Realms of existence]
Sutta: MN 43.9: Conjoined not disjoined.
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?” [Abuse/violence] [Compassion ] // [Discernment] [Ajahn Chah] [Fierce/direct teaching]
Suttas: SN 22.86.13; MN 22.37.
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]
11. “Luang Por Sumedho describes sati-sampajañña as intuitive awareness. But contemplating the four aspects of sampajañña (purpose, suitability, etc.) engages the logical, thinking mind. If these arise intuitively, it’s wonderful, but to cultivate them, I think a lot.” [Ajahn Sumedho] [Clear comprehension ] [Intuition] [Directed thought and evaluation] // [Mindfulness] [Translation] [Bhante Sujato] [Ajahn Ṭhānissaro]
12. “When someone opens up about issues or something difficult they are dealing with, when should one just listen and when should one say something that might help?” [Listening ] [Right Speech] [Compassion] // [Spiritual friendship] [Trust] [Virtue] [Goodwill] [Admonishment/feedback] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Abbot] [Ajahn Chah]
13. “How does the practice of patience fit into the Noble Eightfold Path? How is patience the incinerator of defilements?” [Patience ] [Eightfold Path] [Unwholesome Roots] // [Perfections] [Suffering] [Self-identity view] [Worldly Conditions]
Reference: Ovāda Pātimokkha: Dhp 183-185 (Chanting book translation).
14. “Sometimes we hear that with practice, some qualities change, but other qualities don’t change very much over a long time of practice. When I read certain biographies [of Buddhist teachers], it seems like certain rough qualities can remain even though the mind is pure. How to know the difference in oneself and others?” [Long-term practice] [Personality ] [Teachers] [Fierce/direct teaching] [Unskillful qualities] // [Suffering] [Unwholesome Roots] [Relinquishment] [Hindrances]
Ajahn Pasanno describes the personality of great teachers he has met. [Ajahn Mahā Boowa] [Ajahn Tate] [Ajahn Dune] [Ajahn Chah]
Reflection: The arahant disciples of the Buddha were able to free their minds, but they all had different personalities. [Arahant] [Buddha] [Great disciples ]
Sutta: SN 14.15 Caṅkama Sutta: Monks with different personalities gather around the great disciples.
Note: Ajahn Pasanno mentions the similarly-themed Cūḷagosiṅga Sutta (MN 31) by name, but describes the content of the Caṅkama Sutta.
15. “Is it ever acceptable to put a life out of suffering, for example when it’s dying and suffering slowly?” [Euthanasia ] [Killing ] [Death] [Pain] [Animal] // [Compassion] [Unattractiveness]
Story: Ajahn Pasanno and others look after a Brahma bull that was attacked by a tiger until it dies. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Health care] [Dtao Dum]
1. “What does letting go feel like?” [Relinquishment] // [Clinging] [Happiness]
2. “Is renunciation like surrender?” [Renunciation] [Relinquishment]
Quote: “You let go a little, you get a little peace. You let go a lot, and you get a lot peace. Let go completely, and you get complete peace.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Tranquility]
3. “Can renunciation be practiced in three aspects: material, speech and mind?” [Renunciation] [Relinquishment] // [Right Speech]
4. “Luang Por Chah’s teaching, “Not go forward, not go backward, not stand still;” is this like empty?” [Ajahn Chah] [Emptiness] // [Relinquishment]
1. “What is the difference between concentration and mindfulness?” [Concentration] [Mindfulness] // [Continuity of mindfulness] [Ajahn Chah] [Unification ] [Translation] [Equanimity] [Etymology] [Spaciousness]
Teaching from Ajahn Sumedho: The point that includes versus the point that excludes. [Ajahn Sumedho]
2. “I feel like the point you’re making about an exclusive versus an inclusive unification or one-pointedness is in line with the way I’ve been practicing Zazen. ... [Mindfulness and concentration both feel like they have the quality of open awareness that is inclusive. ... Is concentration a more developed kind of mindfulness?” [Unification] [Zen] [Mindfulness] [Concentration] [Spaciousness]
3. “If you live long enough and you start to have Alzheimer’s or dementia, if you’re well-practiced throughout your whole life, you’ll still be grounded in something, right?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Ageing] [Sickness] [Memory ] [Long-term practice] // [Ajahn Pasanno] [Ajahn Chah]
Story: Despite having dementia, Venerable Mahāghosānanda attends a meeting of Buddhist leaders at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. Abhayagiri monks look after him and delight in his presence. Told by Ajahn Pasanno. [Preah Mahāghosānanda] [Spirit Rock] [Upatakh] [Abhayagiri] [Personal presence] [Dalai Lama]
Reflection: When Ajahn Chah was sick, his cognitive functions deteriorated, but his citta was unwavering. [Heart/mind] [Nature of mind] [Translation] [Ajahn Ṭhānissaro]
Quote: “You don’t have to worry about Ajahn Chah. His mind is bright and pure.” Quoted by Ajahn Pasanno. [Dependent origination] [Chanting] [Wat Pah Nanachat]
Reference: Vipassanā-bhūmī, Amaravati Chanting Book Volume 2, p. 67.
Reflection by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo: The mind is another sense base. It’s not who you are. [Sense bases] [Not-self]
4. “How do you deal with the fear of renunciation and sacrifice that you do on the path of practice? Giving things up that are familiar and comfortable, or even that you know are uncomfortable, but there’s still that dukkha around it. Or after you’ve given up, the mind can proliferate on these subjects a lot. What has your experience been like?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Cunda. [Renunciation] [Fear] [Suffering] [Proliferation] // [Self-identity view] [Cessation of Suffering] [Relinquishment] [Discernment] [Happiness] [Monastic life]
Quote: “Everything I’ve ever let go of has claw marks on it.” — David Foster Wallace. Quoted by Ajahn Pasanno. [Clinging]
Story: Just sweep the leaves in front of your broom. Told by Ajahn Cunda. [Wat Pah Nanachat] [Present moment awareness] [Similes]
Story: A young child struggles to give Ajahn Sumedho a candy on almsround. Told by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Generosity] [Almsround] [Ajahn Sumedho]
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