References – MN 26: The Noble Search 
Reading: MN 26: The Noble Search. Read by Ajahn Pasanno. [Buddha/Biography]
Reflections on the meaning of freedom. [Liberation] [Culture/West]
Reflections on the conditions suitable for Dhamma practice. [Culture/Natural environment] [Sense bases] [Energy]
Suttas: Ud 1.1-3: The Buddha’s reflections after awakening.
Sutta: MN 36.42: Awakening to the Four Noble Truths. [Four Noble Truths]
Sutta: SN 22.26: Benefit, drawback, and escape. [Aspects of Understanding]
Reference: Dhamma talk request, Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 124.
Devotion and Ritual: Becoming the Buddha [2017], Session 2, Excerpt 1
Readings by Ajahn Pasanno:
Ajahn Pasanno’s preface to The Island by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro, pp. 8-9.
Sutta: MN 26.1-21: Ariyapariyesanā Sutta.
Readings from The Island [2025], Session 21
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
“In one of the first readings [Session 2, question 2 and Session 3, question 3] you mentioned momentary Nibbāna. How do jhānas relate to momentary Nibbāna?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro and Ajahn Pasanno. [Nibbāna] [Jhāna] // [Clinging] [Ajahn Chah] [Liberation]
Sutta: MN 113.21: Don’t be content with jhāna.
Sutta: MN 26.15-16: Āḷāra Kālāma and Uddaka Rāmaputta.
Readings from The Island [2025], Session 12, Excerpt 5
“The passage where the Buddha attains enlightenment and then thinks, ‘They’re never going to get it,’ (MN 26.19) speaks to me about self-doubt. Could you speak about conquering doubt?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Buddha/Biography] [Human] [Doubt] // [Self-identity view] [Skillful qualities] [Faith]
Quote: “Every time I think about myself, I get depressed.” — Ajahn Sumedho. [Ajahn Sumedho] [Depression]
Quote: “It’s not me being successful when I’m diligent and me failing when I’m not. That’s what happens in the human condition.” [Energy]
Devotion and Ritual: Becoming the Buddha [2017], Session 2, Excerpt 3
“Could you say more about recollection of death and the healthy desire to have something fall away?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Craving not to become] [Recollection/Death] [Relinquishment] // [Cessation] [Middle Path] [Right View]
Sutta: MN 26.19: The Buddha doubts whether anyone will understand. [Buddha/Biography]
28th Anniversary Practice and Study Day [2024], Session 4, Excerpt 3
“Maybe for most practitioners it is possible to understand a little bit about Nibbāna in a momentary sense. But to become permanently free from defilements is more difficult to understand. Please explain.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Liberation] [Nibbāna] // [Buddha/Biography] [Teaching Dhamma]
Sutta: MN 26.19: The Buddha’s initial inclination not to teach.
“The urge to become—is it just inherent in us as a species or is it inherent everywhere in life?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Becoming] [Human] // [Animal] [Benefit/gratification] [Buddha/Biography]
Sutta: MN 26.19.
Readings from The Island [2025], Session 3, Excerpt 4
“Did the Buddha get any violent reaction from attacking Hinduism’s central tenet of the atman?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Buddha/Biography] [Hinduism] [Not-self] // [Addiction]
Sutta: MN 75.5: Māgandiya Sutta, “Wrecker of being.”
Sutta: MN 26.19: The Buddha hesitates to teach.
Readings from The Island [2025], Session 11, Excerpt 2
Reflections by Ajahn Amaro on the career of the Bodhisattva. [Bodhisattva ] // [Compassion] [Perfections] [Tipiṭaka] [Mahāyāna] [History/Early Buddhism]
Sutta: MN 26.19: The Buddha hesitates to teach.
Readings from The Island [2025], Session 11, Excerpt 3
“I’ve heard that to become a Buddha one must ask the blessing of an existing Buddha. Is this true?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Previous Buddhas] [Buddha] [Bodhisattva] // [Determination]
Story: The Brahmin Sumedha vows to become a Buddha (found in the Buddhavaṃsa and Jātaka tales).
Follow-up: “This makes it even more surprising that the Buddha doubted to fulfill his role (MN 26.19).” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro. [Buddha/Biography] [Doubt] [Brahma gods] [Teaching Dhamma] [Addiction]
Reference: Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 124: Dhamma talk request.
Readings from The Island [2025], Session 11, Excerpt 4
Readings Read by Ajahn Pasanno:
Suttas: Ud 5.5; AN 3.55; MN 26.19; Iti 54 & 55; MN 107.3-11; MN 73.14.
Readings from The Island [2025], Session 23
“How does one develop faith or trust?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Faith] // [Recollection/Buddha ] [Liberation] [Buddha/Biography]
Sutta: MN 26.20: Those with little dust in their eyes.
Thanksgiving Retreat 2010, Session 2, Excerpt 5
“I have had more of a pedestrian view of the Dhamma, and for the first time I’m having trouble even referring to the Buddha as ‘the Lord’ (Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 23). Can you review taking refuge in the Buddha? Likewise, who is Lord Sahampati in the chant of requesting a Dhamma talk (Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 124)?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Buddha] [Chanting] [Respect] [Three Refuges] [Brahma gods] // [Translation] [Culture/West] [Devotional practice] [Gratitude] [Recollection/Buddha] [Discernment] [Compassion] [Virtue]
Sutta: MN 26.20: The Brahma Sahampati invites the Buddha to teach. [Buddha/Biography] [Teaching Dhamma]
Thanksgiving Retreat 2011, Session 4, Excerpt 23
“Please say more about what a monastic retreat offers compared to an ‘ordinary’ retreat. What are the differences?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Meditation retreats ] [Monastic life] // [Respect] [Teaching Dhamma]
Sutta: MN 26.20: The Brahmā Sahampati requests that the Buddha teach the Dhamma.
2015 Thanksgiving Monastic Retreat, Session 4, Excerpt 17
“Can you speak about why the number one god in the universe had to appeal to the Buddha to teach out of compassion (MN 26.20)?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Brahma gods] [Buddha/Biography] [Teaching Dhamma] [Compassion] // [Symbolism/metaphor]
Devotion and Ritual: Becoming the Buddha [2017], Session 2, Excerpt 5
Comment: The Buddha’s reflection about those who have little dust in their eyes (MN 26.21) may refer to those who have the ability to be inspired towards long-term practice. Contributed by Ajahn Sudanto. [Buddha/Biography] [Faith] [Human]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [History/Early Buddhism] [Culture/Thailand]
Devotion and Ritual: Becoming the Buddha [2017], Session 2, Excerpt 4
Readings by Ajahn Pasanno:
The Island by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro, Chapter 13, pp. 224-225:
Suttas: AN 4.179; AN 10.60; AN 1.494.
Sutta: MN 26.22-42: Ariyapariyesanā Sutta.
Readings from The Island [2025], Session 22
“I understand that it isn’t okay for any monk or human being to say that they are enlightened. How come the Buddha himself proclaimed the enlightened one, the knower of the world? Did people write this down or quote the Buddha?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Liberation] [Buddha] // [Devotional practice] [Buddha/Biography] [Teaching Dhamma]
Sutta: MN 26.25: The Buddha’s encounter with Upaka.
Vinaya: Bhikkhu Pācittiyā 8: The rule against revealing superior human states. [Vinaya] [Gain and loss]
Thanksgiving Retreat 2012, Session 5, Excerpt 23
“Are there examples in real life that we can witness someone who has attained Nibbāna?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Nibbāna] // [Doubt] [Four Noble Truths] [Buddha/Biography]
Sutta: MN 26.25: The Buddha’s encounter with Upaka.
“You mentioned very precise words and actions of the Buddha [in MN 26], but how do we know this is a genuine story because they were written hundreds of years ago?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Buddha/Biography ] [Tipiṭaka] // [Faith] [Cessation of Suffering]
Sutta: MN 26.25: The encounter with Upaka.