References – Kd 1: The great chapter 
Vinaya / Khandhaka / Kd 1: Mahākhandhaka

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“If the Unconditioned is above distinctions of right and wrong, how do you reconcile this with the fact that we live in a moralistic society? If you are not enlightened, how do you live with the truth of the Unconditioned?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro and Ajahn Pasanno. [Unconditioned] [Virtue] // [Conventions] [Dhamma] [Vinaya] [Buddha] [Ven. Ananda Maitreya] [Clinging] [Suffering] [Recollection/Buddha]

Reference: “Still, Flowing Water” in Collected Teachings of Ajahn Chah, p. 373.

Reference: Time & Timelessness by the Amaravati Saṅgha.

Reference: T. S. Elliot, The Dry Salvages.

Vinaya: Mahāvagga 1: The story of the Buddha’s enlightenment.

Reference: Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 4: Recollection of the Buddha: vijjācaraṇa-sampanno.

Readings from The Island [2025], Session 13, Excerpt 2


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“On the night of the Buddha’s enlightenment, he used the perception of Dependent Origination to penetrate the truth into the Five Khandhas...?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Buddha/Biography] [Dependent origination]

Vinaya: Mahāvagga 1.1: The Buddha contemplates Dependent Origination under different trees.

Readings from The Island [2025], Session 9, Excerpt 1


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Readings from The Island by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro, Chapter 1, pp. 30-35. Read by Ajahn Amaro:

“Nibbāna,” Buddhist Dictionary, p. 123.

The Mind Like Fire Unbound by Ajahn Ṭhānissaro, p. 2.

Suttas: MN 26.13; SN 38.1; AN 10.60; Ud 3.10; AN 3.55; AN 6.55; SN 43.1-44.

Vinaya: Mahāvagga 1.5 (also occurs at SN 6.1 and MN 26.19).

Readings from The Island [2025], Session 3


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“As I understand Ajahn Sumedho in The Sound of Silence and Stephen Batchelor, they do not believe in rebirth or reincarnation in a literal sense. What is your belief and understanding in regards to this? Stephen in particular says this is a holdover from the society the Buddha was born into and not really his teaching. He also comments that the Buddha was more interested in creating a new civilization than individual enlightenment. Please comment.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Sumedho] [Stephen Batchelor] [Rebirth] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Culture/India] [Buddha/Biography] [Politics and society] // [Sutta] [Teaching Dhamma] [Liberation]

Vinaya: Mahāvagga 1.6: The Buddha’s activities after his Awakening.

Thanksgiving Retreat 2010, Session 8, Excerpt 21


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Readings by Ajahn Amaro:

The Island by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro, Introduction by Ajahn Sumedho, pp. 16-18.

The Island by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro, Chapter 1, pp. 28-30:

Vinaya: Mahāvagga 1.6.

Readings from The Island [2025], Session 2


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Story: Reprinting The Enlightened Nuns from the Time of the Buddha by Panadure Vajira Silmatha. Told by Ajahn Amaro. [Dhamma books] [Bhikkhunī] [Buddha/Biography] // [Ajahn Candasirī] [Ajahn Amaro] [Artistic expression] [Non-return] [Bodhisattva]

Story: The wanderer Upaka falls in love with Cāpā, marries her, then returns to the Buddha, ordains as a monk, and becomes a non-returner. [Commentaries]

Vinaya: Mahāvagga 1.6: Upaka meets the Buddha.

Sutta: Thig 13.3: Cāpātherīgāthā (Upaka is apparently called Kāḷa here).

Reference: Upaka, The Dictionary of Pāli Proper Names by G P Malalasekera.

Sutta: SN 2.24 mentions Upaka as a non-returner.

Readings from The Island [2025], Session 7, Excerpt 1


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Readings from The Island by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro, Chapter 5, pp. 87-92. Read by Ajahn Amaro:

“Nibbāna,” Buddhist Dictionary: A Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrines by Venerable Ñāṇatiloka, p. 124.

Suttas: MN 140.31; Dhp 21; AN 6.49; SN 22.49; SN 1.20; Nid 80.226; MN 144.9; SN 22.59 (also at Mahāvagga 1.6).

Readings from The Island [2025], Session 15


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Readings from The Island by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro, Chapter 5, pp. 105-109. Read by Ajahn Amaro:

Suttas: MN 75.12; MN 74.2-5; MN 102.12; Iti 49; SN 12.15, SN 22.90.

Vinaya: Mahāvagga 1.6 (also at SN 22.59).

Readings from The Island [2025], Session 19


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MN 49.26 says that the Buddha made himself invisible. Are the suttas always to be taken literally?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Buddha/Biography] [Psychic powers] [Tipiṭaka ] // [Brahma gods] [Culture/India] [Ven. Ananda Maitreya]

Vinaya: Mahāvagga 1.7.8: The Buddha conceals Yasa.

Readings from The Island [2025], Session 39, Excerpt 1


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“Luang Por Jumnien has said that 80% of the yogis he’s known who have entered the stream did so while listening to Dhamma. He also said that most were laywomen or nuns. What are your thoughts?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Jumnien] [Hearing the true Dhamma] [Stream entry] [Women in Buddhism] // [Psychic powers] [Sutta] [Right View] [Ajahn Chah]

Vinaya: Mahāvagga 1.10: Yasa’s friends listen with a mind ready to receive Dhamma.

Thanksgiving Retreat 2012, Session 7, Excerpt 12


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“This is a bit pedantic, but shouldn’t it be 1,003? It says the three Kassapa brothers and their 1,000 disciples.” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Language]

Sutta: SN 35.28: Ādittapariyāya Sutta (Chanting book translation).

Vinaya: Mahāvagga 1.15: The story of the Kassapa brothers.

Readings from The Island [2025], Session 6, Excerpt 1


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“Thank you for wise and generous teachings. I’m at once grateful and also feeling sad. Every story and reference is about a man. Were there no women at the Fire Sermon (Mahāvagga 1.21)? How come there is no talk of the female disciples? Perhaps the next Buddha will be a woman. Can you speak about this absence of a female presence?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Gratitude] [Grief] [Women in Buddhism ] // [Ajahn Pasanno] [Bhikkhunī] [Theravāda] [History/Sri Lankan Buddhism]

Suttas: AN 1.188-267: Male and female great disciples. [Great disciples]

Thanksgiving Retreat 2011, Session 7, Excerpt 27


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Readings from The Island by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro, Chapter 2, pp. 48-52. Read by Ajahn Amaro:

Suttas: SN 35.28 (also at Mahāvagga 1.21); Iti 93; SN 44.9.

Readings from The Island [2025], Session 6


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“To what extent is spreading the teachings part of the tudong tradition?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Teaching Dhamma] [Tudong] // [Culture/Thailand]

Vinaya: Mahāvagga 1.23: Venerable Assaji’s demeanor inspires Sariputta. [Great disciples] [Perception of a samaṇa]

Story: Ajahn Pasanno goes tudong and is asked for lottery numbers. [Ajahn Pasanno]

Tudong Stories at Spirit Rock [2011], Session 2, Excerpt 13


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“When the Buddha addressed AN 7.61 to Mahā Mogallāna, was Mahā Mogallāna already and arahant?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Great disciples] [Arahant] // [Fetters] [Almsround] [Perception of a samaṇa]

Vinaya: Mahāvagga 1.23: Sāriputta meets Assaji and realizes stream entry after hearing a brief verse. [Stream entry]

Readings from The Island [2025], Session 30, Excerpt 4


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Reflection by Ajahn Pasanno: 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]

What Luang Por Chah Taught [2025], Excerpt 10


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“How did the Buddha deal with this issue of people becoming enlightened contemporaneous with him and getting a little bit crazy? His contemporaries also had siddhis [psychic powers] and practices? How did he distinguish between Buddhist and non-Buddhist attainments?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro. [Buddha/Biography] [Liberation] [Delusion] [Psychic powers] // [Cessation of Suffering] [Self-identity view] [Relinquishment] [Becoming]

Sutta: AN 6.48: A proper declaration of full knowledge does not include a sense of me and mine.

Vinaya: Mahāvagga 1.38: Rules for wanderers of other sects wanting to become bhikkhus.

Readings from The Island [2025], Session 49, Excerpt 4


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“What or how was the father-son relationship of the Buddha and his son Rāhula? Are there any suttas or teachings in regards to their own relationship and their family?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Buddha/Biography ] [Parents] [Family] // [Ordination]

Vinaya: Mahāvagga 1.54: Rāhula asks for his inheritance. [Great disciples] [Novices]

Sutta: MN 61: Teachings to Rāhula as a boy. [False speech]

Sutta: MN 62: Comprehensive teachings to Rāhula.

Vinaya: Bhikkhu Pācittiyā 5.2.1: Lodgings for Rāhula.

Thanksgiving Retreat 2010, Session 6, Excerpt 20


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“Does one need permission from one’s spouse to take robes?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ordination] [Relationships] // [Buddha/Biography]

Vinaya: Mahāvagga 1.54.4.

Thanksgiving Retreat 2010, Session 8, Excerpt 2