“On ‘The Discourse on Setting in Motion the Wheel of The Dhamma,’ toward the end it says, ‘my knowledge and vision of reality of regarding the Four Noble Truths, in their three phases and twelve aspects.’ What are the ‘three phases and twelve aspects?’ Thanks for your teachings.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Four Noble Truths ]
Sutta: SN 56.11: Dhammacakkappavattanasutta (Chanting Book translation)
2014 Thanksgiving Monastic Retreat, Session 2, Excerpt 1
“Can you clarify the difference between desire and intention? It seems that either could lead to suffering due to attachments to the results. Yet we are encouraged to have intentions for well-being, health, happiness, etc. Isn’t our intention also a desire?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Desire ] [Volition ] [Clinging] [Cause of Suffering] // [Pāli] [Kamma] [Craving ] [Bases of Success] [Sensual desire] [Energy]
Sutta: SN 56.11: Dhammacakkappavattanasutta (Chanting Book translation)
2015 Thanksgiving Monastic Retreat, Session 5, Excerpt 15
“How important is chanting for one’s practice? Do you have any tips for how to recite/remember the Pali chants?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Chanting ] [Memory] [Pāli] // [Monastic life] [Recollection] [Devotional practice] [Energy] [Thai Forest Tradition] [Long-term practice] [Dhamma recordings] [Posture/Walking] [Almsround] [Mindfulness]
Story: Ajahn Mun would chant for over an hour each evening before he started meditating. [Ajahn Mun] [Monastic routine]
Suttas: AN 10.60 Girimānanda Sutta; SN 56.11: Dhammacakkappavattanasutta (Chanting Book translation).
Story: The evening program at Wat Fah Krahm is three hours of chanting followed by a three-hour sit. [Wat Fah Krahm] [Meditation]
Reference: Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 138: Rhythm of the Pāli language.
Sutta: SN 48.9: Mindfulness related to memory.
2015 Thanksgiving Monastic Retreat, Session 7, Excerpt 13
“Did you find any particular holy sites especially affecting?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Visiting holy sites ] // [Tranquility]
Reference: SN 56.11: Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (Chanting Book translation)
Western Disciples of the Thai Forest Tradition [2016], Session 49, Excerpt 3
“Where is the middle way taught in the suttas? and how might that help some of us who consider extensive sitting practice an ascetic practice?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Middle Path ] [Sutta] // [Virtue] [Concentration] [Discernment] [Right View] [Cessation of Suffering] [Knowledge and vision] [Eightfold Path] [Etymology]
Sutta: SN 56.11: Dhammacakkappavattanasutta (Chanting Book translation).
Quote: “It’s not a middle way that is a compromise where you can cut ot the hard bits and split the difference so you feel good about it.”
Thanksgiving Retreat 2016, Session 6, Excerpt 4
“What is the translation of sabbaṃ dukkhaṃ? The way you translate it seems psychological. In Sanskrit, dukkhaṃ means out of the cosmic flow of Dhamma. But perhaps dukkhaṃ is best left untranslated. If untranslated, does dukkhaṃ mean the same thing in Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Suffering] [Pāli] [Equanimity] [Dhamma] [Translation] [Advaita Vedanta] // [Thai] [Human] [Aggregates] [Clinging ] [Knowing itself] [Relinquishment]
Ancient etymology of dukkha: du = bad, unwanted, unpleasant, uncomfotable, not easy; kha = where the axle fits into the wheel. [Language] [History/Indian Buddhism]
Sutta: SN 56.11: Dhammacakkappavattanasutta (Chanting Book translation)
Teaching: The four forms of clinging. [Clinging ] [Sensual desire] [Impermanence] [Naturalness] [Happiness] [Neutral feeling] [Attachment to precepts and practices] [Views] [Doctrine-of-self clinging] [Not-self]
Quote: “Nibbāna is the reality of non-grasping.” — Ajahn Chah. [Nibbāna] [Cessation of Suffering]
Interreligious Retreat-Seminar on Dhamma and Non-duality [2023], Session 4, Excerpt 1
“Using the words passion and greed as if they are interchangeable seems difficult for me to see. Passion seems a lot wider. How is one passionate about something? How am I greedy about something? If I’m passionate about Buddhism, how am I greedy about Buddhism?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Desire] [Greed] // [Unwholesome Roots] [Aversion] [Etymology] [Teaching Dhamma] [Practicing in accordance with Dhamma]
Suttas: SN 56.11: Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (Chanting book translation); SN 22.59 Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta (Chanting book translation); SN 35.28: Ādittapariyāya Sutta (Chanting book translation).
Follow-up: “I relate more to rage and passion than I do to greed. Is it okay to make my three poisons…?”
Readings from The Island [2025], Session 5, Excerpt 3
“Is [SN 12.15] specifically what the middle way refers to?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Middle Path] // [Dependent origination] [Eightfold Path] [Sense bases] [Philosophy]
Sutta: SN 56.11: Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (Chanting book translation).
Reference: Concept and Reality by Bhikkhu Ñāṇananda p. 63, quoted in The Island by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro, p. 140.
Sutta: SN 2.26: Rohitassa.
Sutta: DN 11.85: Where earth, water, fire, and air no footing find...
Readings from The Island [2025], Session 40, Excerpt 4
“You said that starting with chanting can help focus the mind. But I find myself daydreaming while chanting.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Chanting] [Tranquility] [Proliferation] // [Pāṭimokkha] [Energy]
Story: An elderly woman chants the Dhammacakka Sutta every day. [Ageing]
Calming the Busy Mind [2013], Session 1, Excerpt 2
“The Second Noble Truth, sumudaya—do you know it as arising of suffering or origin of suffering or does it matter?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Cause of Suffering ] // [Craving]
Sutta: SN 56.11.4: Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (Chanting book translation): “ever seeking fresh delight.”
Kathina Q&A with the Chithurst Community [2025], Session 1, Excerpt 7
“There are people who tend to teach a lot about the deva realm. One story says that in the first discourse thousands of devas were enlightened. I wonder if they were non-returners?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Deva] [Buddha/Biography] [Non-return] // [Great disciples] [Stream entry] [Ven. Ananda Maitreya]
Sutta: SN 56.11: Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta: The devas rejoicing.
Readings from The Island [2025], Session 6, Excerpt 10
“If sakkāyadiṭṭhi is seen or penetrated, then do doubt and the other two follow?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Self-identity view] [Doubt] [Attachment to precepts and practices] [Fetters] // [Impermanence] [Great disciples] [Characteristics of existence]
Sutta: SN 56.11: Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta: Kondañño’s knowing (Chanting Book translation).
Readings from The Island [2025], Session 36, Excerpt 2
“How was “atta” defined in the Buddha’s time?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Jotipālo. [Doctrine-of-self clinging] [Culture/India] // [Happiness] [Rebirth]
Reference: Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta (Chanting Book translation).
Western Disciples of the Thai Forest Tradition [2016], Session 38, Excerpt 4
Three kinds of selfing. Teaching by Ajahn Amaro. [Self-identity view] [Not-self] // [Commentaries] [Insight meditation] [Relinquishment]
Sutta: SN 22.59 Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta (Chanting book translation).
Readings from The Island [2025], Session 15, Excerpt 5
“I’m half expecting the earth to shake.” Comment by Ajahn Ñāṇiko after the reading of “Five Piles of Bricks.”
Response by Ajahn Pasanno: All five of the Buddha’s first disciples were liberated when listening to the Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta (SN 22.59; Chanting Book translation). [Buddha/Biography] [Liberation] [Aggregates] [Not-self]
Western Disciples of the Thai Forest Tradition [2016], Session 26, Excerpt 1
The Buddha taught not-self by ecouraging his disciples to ask these questions. [Teaching Dhamma] [Not-self] [Questions] [Philosophy]
Sutta: SN 22.59 Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta questionaire (Chanting Book translation).
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Skillful qualities] [Ajahn Chah]
Western Disciples of the Thai Forest Tradition [2016], Session 26, Excerpt 6
“Is there consciousness (awareness, knowing) in the experience of nibbana or is there a complete cessation of all six senses, as some traditions say. (Particularly in relation to the experience of stream-entry, which is sometimes described as a cessation.)” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Nibbāna ] [Sense bases] [Stream entry] [Cessation] // [Liberation] [Ajahn Chah] [Sutta] [Thai Forest Tradition]
Sutta: SN 22.59.11 Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta: knowledge of liberation (Chanting Book translation).
Abhayagiri Monastic Retreat 2013, Session 7, Excerpt 9
“What about different definitions of the mind? Sometimes the Pāli is citta…” Answered by Ajahn Amaro and Ajahn Pasanno. [Heart/mind] [Pāli] // [Nature of mind] [Sense bases] [Liberation] [Translation]
Sutta: SN 22.59 Anattalakkhaṇa Sutta: Their hearts (citta) were liberated... (Chanting book translation).
Readings from The Island [2025], Session 39, Excerpt 3
Comment: I always associate [Nibbāna] with the word coolness.... [Nibbāna] [Similes] [Equanimity]
Response by Ajahn Amaro. [Dispassion]
Quote: “Nibbāna is totally cool. Meditate and chill out.” — Ajahn Kusalo. [Ajahn Kusalo] [Artistic expression]
Sutta: SN 35.28: Ādittapariyāya Sutta (Chanting book translation).
Readings from The Island [2025], Session 4, Excerpt 1
“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
“You were saying the chanting takes 50 minutes. I understood the Buddha tells Ananda the early suttas because Ananda was not there in the beginning. Was it more like a summary?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Chanting] [Sutta] [Buddha/Biography] [Great disciples] // [Spiritual traditions] [Teaching Dhamma] [Learning] [History/Sri Lankan Buddhism]
Sutta: SN 35.28: The Fire Sermon (Chanting book translation).
Readings from The Island [2025], Session 6, Excerpt 2
“Is it correct that name-and-form and consciousness can’t be separated, contact and feeling can’t be separated, and the same for becoming and birth? Is it correct that those links can’t be interrupted?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Dependent origination] // [Tipiṭaka] [Conditionality] [Ajahn Sumedho] [Direct experience]
Sutta: DN 15: Mahānidāna Sutta.
Reference: “Hetu paccayo...,” Funeral Chanting in Amaravati Chanting Book Volume 2, p. 66.
Sutta: MN 43.9: Feeling, perception, and consciousness are conjoined.