All excerpts
65 events, 477 sessions, 3436 excerpts, 191:51:31 total duration
Most common tags:
Ajahn Chah
(799)
Ajahn Pasanno
(360)
Suffering
(276)
Relinquishment
(250)
Abhayagiri
(237)
Monastic life
(217)
Self-identity view
(216)
Mindfulness of breathing
(203)
Discernment
(198)
Teaching Dhamma
(198)
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1. 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.
2. Reflection by Ajahn Pasanno: Bowing to the Buddha is bowing to the qualities the Buddha manifested and recollecting those qualities in ourselves. [Bowing ] [Buddha images ] [Recollection/Buddha] [Recollection/Virtue]
3. “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]
4. 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]
5. “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]
6. “When you don’t feel like practicing, what do you do?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Energy] [Ajahn Pasanno] // [Wat Pah Pong] [Cleanliness] [Ajahn Chah] [Spiritual friendship]
1. Story: The making of the small replicas of the main Buddha image. Told by Ajahn Pasanno. [Buddha images] [Artistic expression] [Abhayagiri] // [Devotional practice] [Lay life]
2. Reflection by Ajahn Pasanno: Ajahn Chah as a focus of devotion. [Ajahn Chah] [Devotional practice] // [Respect for elders] [Skillful qualities]
Quote: “Ajahn Chah was an exemplary being and incredible teacher, but that didn’t mean that you always agreed with him or that he was always just very nice to you all the time.” [Human]
Recollection: The annual Ajahn Chah remembrance day in January. [Ajahn Chah Remembrance Day] [Stupas/monuments]
3. Reflection by Ajahn Pasanno: The aspects of pūjā or devotion are an opportunity to nourish the roots of our practice. [Devotional practice ] [Pūjā] // [Sloth and torpor] [Energy]
4. Quote: “I just follow the Buddha. You do the same.” — Ajahn Chah. Quoted by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Buddha] // [Humility] [Three Refuges]
5. Teaching: The Buddha’s first exclamation after his enlightenment evokes the sense of being free from saṃsāra. Contributed by Ajahn Pasanno. [Buddha/Biography] [Saṃsāra ] [Liberation] // [Proliferation] [Cessation] [Craving]
Sutta: Dhp 153-154 (Chanting Book translation).
6. Reflection by Ajahn Pasanno: When one holds to that which is true, it has a transformative quality. [Truth ] // [Three Refuges] [Protective chants]
Reference: Sacca-kiriyā-gāthā, Bhikkhu Manual, p. 95.
7. Teaching: The paramī are bright qualities that carry one across from confusion to peace. Contributed by Ajahn Pasanno. [Perfections ] [Etymology] // [Theravāda] [Mahāyāna] [Chanting] [History/Early Buddhism] [Buddha] [Liberation]
8. Teaching: There is no difference between the mind of enlightenment of a Buddha and anyone else who experiences awakening. Contributed by Ajahn Pasanno. [Buddha] [Arahant ] [Liberation] // [Perfections] [Personality]
9. Reflections by Ajahn Pasanno on the personalities of the great disciples. [Great disciples ] [Personality] // [Mindfulness] [Memory] [Buddha/Biography] [Perfections]
10. A detailed description of the paramī as qualities that can transform ourselves and others. Teaching by Ajahn Pasanno. [Perfections ] // [Generosity] [Virtue] [Culture/West] [Renunciation] [Discernment] [Energy] [Right Effort] [Patience] [Ajahn Chah] [Truth] [Determination] [Goodwill] [Equanimity]
Story: Master Hsu Yun and the bandits. [Master Hsu Yun] [Stealing] [Bowing] [Tudong]
Sutta: SN 56.11.11: The Dhamma Eye: “All that has the nature to arise....”
11. Teaching: Mindfulness of breathing is the practice that the Buddha recommended most. Contributed by Ajahn Pasanno. [Mindfulness of breathing] [Buddha/Biography]
Sutta: SN 54.11: The Buddha practices mindfulness of breathing while on retreat. [Meditation retreats]
12. Ajahn Pasanno encourages the recipients of the small Buddha images to chant and do ceremonies so that the images gain power to invoke wholesome qualities from the heart. [Buddha images] [Pūjā] [Skillful qualities] [Buddha]
13. “Can you reflect about the meaning of ‘essence and conventions’ in Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 5?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Conventions ] // [Buddha images] [Teaching Dhamma] [Ceremony/ritual] [Liberation]
Sutta: MN 30: Cūḷasāropama Sutta.
14. “Do the perfections have a progressive quality to them?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Perfections] // [Jātaka Tales] [Generosity]
1. “The term ‘sense consciousness’ is used in the morning chanting, but I didn’t hear that [in MN 19]. When the Buddha recognizes a thought and puts it into a certain bin, this seems like a step beyond sense consciousness.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Consciousness] [Sense bases] [Investigation of states] [Directed thought and evaluation] // [Mindfulness]
2. Comment: One of my favorite things about the sutta [MN 19] is where [the Buddha] says, “Before I was awakened, it occured to me, ‘Suppose I divide my thoughts into two classes.’” It’s like an experiment. [Buddha/Biography] [Investigation of states] [Directed thought and evaluation] // [Meditation/Techniques] [Desire]
3. “I got a little confused about the part [of MN 19] where it says, ‘these thoughts are not to be feared.’” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Fear] [Directed thought and evaluation] // [Right Intention] [Calming meditation] [Happiness]
Quote: “In trying to stop thinking, there’s an incredible tension that is created in the mind.” [Suffering]
Follow-up: “[MN 19] mentioned that these thoughts might make you tired.” [Sloth and torpor]
4. Comment: That [MN 19.8] feels like it goes to the Four Foundations of Mindfulness of knowing when the mind is here, knowing what’s happening to the body. [Right Mindfulness] [Mindfulness of body] [Directed thought and evaluation]
5. Comment: Appreciation for the similes of poking the cow and the herd of deer (MN 19). [Similes] [Heedfulness] [Directed thought and evaluation]
6. “Sometimes I get very worried and keep thinking about something and get tired and stressed out. Is this what the Buddha meant by ‘a day and a night’ [in MN 19.8]?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Restlessness and worry] [Directed thought and evaluation] // [Unskillful qualities] [Suffering] [Similes] [Heedfulness]
7. “Could you give some advice on using directed and sustained thought? Would these thoughts be like repeating ‘Buddho’ or are they conceptual?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Buddho mantra] [Directed thought and evaluation] // [Ajahn Chah]
8. “I’m curious about the wholesome/unwholesome assessment [in MN 19]. If it’s a thought of ill-will, greed, hatred, or delusion, but we’re not attached to it, we’re just seeing it arise, seeing it pass, recognizing it, being aware that it’s in the mind. Does the unwholesomeness come from believing it?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Skillful qualities] [Unskillful qualities ] [Investigation of states] [Unwholesome Roots] [Directed thought and evaluation] [Mindfulness of mind] // [Habits] [Hindrances]
9. “How much should we be using that tool of the two categories?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Investigation of states] [Directed thought and evaluation]
10. Comment: In this teaching [MN 19], the Buddha doesn’t talk about any middle ground such as neutral thoughts. [Directed thought and evaluation]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Teaching Dhamma] [Jhāna]
11. “Where does attachment fit into the Dvedhāvitakka Sutta [MN 19]? Is it also thought?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Clinging] [Directed thought and evaluation] // [Sutta] [Hearing the true Dhamma]
12. “When [the Buddha] talks about sensual desire, that’s craving, right?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Sensual desire] [Craving] [Directed thought and evaluation]
Follow-up: “Do you know what the Pāli word used for sensual desire [in MN 19] is? I think that craving and sensual desire are different.” [Pāli]
1. “The last option [in MN 20] I thought was really interesting because it’s rare I hear such aggressive terms used. There’s almost a sense of violence in some of those terms. Is that just because of the interpretation? Also, is another option to get rid of the thought to get up and actively do something?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Language] [Abuse/violence] [Exercise] // [Buddha/Biography] [Similes] [Cleanliness] [Gladdening the mind]
2. Comment: Ajahn Amaro talked about a teacher who was an ex-boxer with rough manners. [Personality] [Fierce/direct teaching]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Unwholesome Roots]
Story: Ajahn Mun admonishes Ajahn Mahā Boowa: “You need to develop some subtlety!” [Ajahn Mun] [Ajahn Mahā Boowa] [Admonishment/feedback]
3. “After a long time in practice trying to order thoughts around, which hasn’t been so fruitful, there’s been an experiment: trying to observe even when thoughts are really spinning, just bringing an awareness and let them spin. If there’s a strong sense of watching, where does that fit in [to MN 20]?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Directed thought and evaluation] [Proliferation] [Present moment awareness] // [Mindfulness] [Tranquility]
4. “When you go into your body to feel the underlying emotion behind a thought, what happens when the bodily feeling is so uncomfortable that you really don’t want to feel it?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Mindfulness of body] [Emotion] [Directed thought and evaluation] [Suffering ] [Aversion] [Fear] // [Recollection/Buddha] [Recollection/Saṅgha] [Recollection/Virtue] [Faith]
Follow-up: “It seems really difficult to think of Dhamma or the refuges while in such a wrapped-up state. I don’t know if I could do that.” [Noble Truth of Suffering] [Visualization] [Goodwill] [Compassion]
5. Comment: I’ve discovered on this path that we can change, but sometimes we can not change, and it’s just accepting ourselves better and being more at ease in our bodies. [Eightfold Path] [Judgementalism] [Tranquility]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo.
6. “I’m struggling with developing a personal faith that I can trust in my body and not hurt myself and accept myself.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Faith] [Mindfulness of body] // [Faculties] [Language]
7. Comment: One time I really to the edge of all kinds of sadness and my mind came up with [audio unclear] and Three Refuges in a way that seemed very useful for me. [Depression] [Three Refuges] // [Mantra] [Determination] [Suffering]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Directed thought and evaluation] [Skillful qualities]
8. “All these practices [in MN 20] have been useful to calm the thoughts in the moment, but with ill-will and forgiveness, it hasn’t genuinely changed the underlying emotion. I thought I had forgiven somebody, but ill-will comes up towards that person six months later. When do you genuinely change the underlying emotion?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Calming meditation] [Ill-will] [Forgiveness] [Unwholesome Roots] // [Right Intention] [Conditionality] [Perfectionism]
9. “When the word evil comes up in a Buddhist context, it always takes me by surprise. What is the word being translated as evil thoughts [in MN 20]?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Unskillful qualities ] [Pāli] [Translation] // [Thai] [Language]
10. “How can you connect the five methods [of MN 20] with the development of insight, which people tend to equate with just observing?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Directed thought and evaluation] [Calming meditation] [Insight meditation] // [Investigation of states] [Characteristics of existence] [Dependent origination] [Cessation]
11. Comment about developing faith in the practice by watching energies move, change, and dissipate in the body. [Faith] [Mindfulness of body] // [Grief]
12. Comment: The language in method five [of MN 20] still catches me. If I’m pushing against a thought and beating it down, I’m actually more attached to it because of that. [Directed thought and evaluation] [Right Effort] [Abuse/violence] [Clinging]
Responses by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo.
13. Comment: I find the method of tracing a thought back to its origin in sense contact very useful. [Directed thought and evaluation] [Sense bases] [Contact]
14. Comment: The fifth method [of MN 20] is using mind on mind, thought over thought. It’s actually kind of subtle. [Directed thought and evaluation] [Mindfulness of mind]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Clinging]
15. “My friend is having anxiety about her pregnancy issues. These are understandable but not helpful for her well-being. Do you have any recommendations for dealing with legitimate fears?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Restlessness and worry] [Health] [Birth] [Fear] // [Visualization] [Goodwill] [Compassion]
Follow-up: “Would this go under the category of taking a smaller peg? (MN 20 method one)” [Directed thought and evaluation]
16. Comment: My experience with method five [of MN 20] is that it works when the mind doing the crushing is compassion mind, wisdom mind. [Directed thought and evaluation] [Compassion] [Discernment] [Right Intention]
Responses by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo.
1. “Are the teachings in MN 19: Two Kinds of Thought and MN 20: The Removal of Distracting Thoughts meant to be used just during meditation or 24/7?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Right Effort] [Continuity of mindfulness] [Directed thought and evaluation] // [Everyday life]
2. Comment: Our group talked about body scanning, coming back to the body, as a way to find your center. Everyone was conscious of skillful means in knowing themselves. We all had different ways of knowing what works and adapting to different circumstances that arise. [Body scanning] [Mindfulness of body] [Right Effort] [Directed thought and evaluation]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Long-term practice]
3. Comment: Our group talked about what we use to deal with our thoughts, the Four Noble Truths, and perfectionism. [Four Noble Truths] [Directed thought and evaluation]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno: “You can’t go wrong by coming back to the Four Noble Truths.”
Simile: The footprint of all animals fit within the footprint of an elephant. In the same way, all the teachings of the Buddha will fit into the Four Noble Truths. — Sariputta, MN 28 [Similes] [Teaching Dhamma] [Great disciples]
4. Comment: Our group talked about our suffering, the kind of thoughts that we’re laboring under, the nature of obsessive and addictive thoughts, and how these teachings might help us choose freedom. [Suffering] [Addiction] [Liberation] [Directed thought and evaluation]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Mindfulness of body] [Four Noble Truths]
5. “Where does allowing the thought to be there for a little bit come in? For example, if you’re thinking about a past event that means something to you, and you’re trying to stop it, and all of a sudden you realize, ‘Oh, it’s okay. This is meaningful to you.’ And it really loses power.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Present moment awareness] [Directed thought and evaluation] // [Ill-will] [Craving not to become] [Mindfulness] [Clear comprehension]
6. Comment: I’ve been reflecting on freedom from as opposed to freedom within. Sometimes there’s a secret hope that those thoughts will go away, vibhava-taṇha, as opposed to freedom within, meaning releasing the identification with painful thoughts. [Craving not to become] [Self-identity view] [Release] [Directed thought and evaluation] // [Hindrances]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Suffering]
Quote: “Just that much.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Disenchantment]
7. “Do thoughts by themselves have karmic consequences?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Kamma] [Directed thought and evaluation] // [Perception] [Feeling] [Volition] [Self-identity view]
Sutta: MN 56: Upāli
Follow-up: “Is it good kamma to decide not to act on an unskillful thought?” [Skillful qualities]
Story: A person talks with Ajahn Liem, analyzing their consistently bad thoughts and obsessions. He replies, “If you see a pile of excrement, why would you want to stick your nose in it?” Told by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Ajahn Liem] [Unskillful qualities] [Similes] [Fierce/direct teaching] [Culture/Thailand] [Thai Forest Tradition]
Comment: I think my problem is that my nose is already in there, and I don’t want to realize that I’m so stupid that it’s hard to get it out. [Delusion]
8. Story: When visiting Abhayagiri, Ajahn Liem learns that Ukiah is the nearest town. Khya means “the garbage” in Thai. He later tells the monks, “Don’t live in Khya.” [Ajahn Liem] [Abhayagiri] [Thai] [Humor]
9. Comment: It’s so hard not to identify with the contents of the mind, to not make it me and mine. Realizing how useless so many of my thoughts are helps. [Self-identity view] [Guilt/shame/inadequacy] [Suffering] [Disenchantment] [Directed thought and evaluation]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Mindfulness] [Pāli]
Response by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Not-self] [Humility]
10. “Is there a reason why mindfulness is number seven in the Path?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Right Mindfulness] [Eightfold Path] // [Right View] [Right Effort]
11. “Is this recorded?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Dhamma online]
[Session] Includes readings from Social and Communal Harmony by Bhikkhu Bodhi (commercial), DN 31: Sīgālovāda Sutta, and Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari (commercial). [Politics and society]
1. Quote: “That person is making me suffer....If they would just smarten up and do what I like, then I would be happy. My life would be smooth and peaceful again, just like it always was before.” — Ajahn Pasanno. [Cause of Suffering] [Humor] [Politics and society]
Quote: “Don’t believe your mind. It’s a liar and a cheat.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Heart/mind] [False speech] [Delusion]
2. “What are spontaneously reborn beings? [in the context of Right View, e.g. MN 117]” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Rebirth] [Realms of existence] [Right View] // [Deva] [Birth] [Ghost]
3. “There’s been a lot of discussion lately about how information sources cater to their own little niche. Do you have advice about information sources?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Media] [News] [Politics and society] // [Internet] [Commerce/economics] [Advertizing] [Non-profit organizations]
4. “I’m left with a deep sadness about the state of the world. I suppose that’s no different than struggling with sadness about the human condition?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Grief] [Suffering] [Human] [Politics and society] // [Compassion] [Depression] [Desire] [Right Effort] [Disenchantment] [Conventions]
5. “Can you say more about how disenchantment can be uplifting?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Disenchantment] [Gladdening the mind] [Politics and society] // [Translation] [Bhikkhu Bodhi] [Suffering] [Skillful qualities] [Progress of insight]
Quote: “There’s no known defense against cheesecake.” — Ajahn Sucitto. [Ajahn Sucitto] [Food] [Sensual desire]
6. Comment: Keeping in mind that everything is cyclical helps me look at the state of the world. [Saṃsāra] [Lawfulness] [Politics and society]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Right Effort]
7. Comment: One thing I’ve gotten from Trump is the equanimity to listen to his supporters on a one-on-one basis. [Equanimity] [Listening] [Respect] [Politics and society]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Fear] [Human] [Suffering] [Community]
8. “How to work with suspicion skillfully? Is it a combination of looking at the fact as well as your gut feeling?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Doubt] [Intuition] [Politics and society] // [Unwholesome Roots] [Right Effort] [Mindfulness of body]
9. “Some of my suffering in the current situation comes from feeling compassion with regard to specific suffering that I’m aware of and not acting in response to it. What are helpful stories to frame a patient, long-term effort to effect change?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Suffering] [Compassion] [Patience] [Long-term practice] [Politics and society] [Kamma] [Activism] [Views] // [Association with people of integrity] [Right Effort]
Quote: “And just because one doesn’t see results doesn’t mean one shouldn’t do something....To put the causes into something–that’s the only way that change is going to happen.” [Conditionality]
10. Story: Someone asks Ajahn Pasanno, “You’ve been putting a lot of effort into protecting forests in Thailand. Do you think the forests will be protected?” Told by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Culture/Thailand] [Environment] [Activism] [Politics and society] // [Learning] [Right Livelihood]
11. Story: Ajahn Pasanno returns to Dtao Dum and sees the forest regenerated. Told by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Dtao Dum] [Environment] [Politics and society] // [Industry] [Happiness] [Conditionality]
12. “Is this along the concept of Right Effort in a global sense? Not getting attached to the outcome, but yet finding something that’s important enough to put some energy into?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Right Effort] [Activism] [Politics and society] // [Kamma] [Energy]
Quote: “There’s no such thing as doing nothing.”
13. “Did Ajahn Chah ever speak about politics?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Politics and society] // [Fear] [Proliferation] [History/Thai Buddhism] [Military]
Story: Driving through military checkpoints on the way to Ajahn Fun’s funeral. [Ajahn Fun] [Funerals] [Ajahn Pasanno]
14. “I keep mostly to myself, but morality and ethics affects the jist of my involvement in society. What should I be doing further to address social suffering?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Virtue] [Community] [Suffering] [Right Effort] [Politics and society] // [Spiritual friendship] [Goodwill]
15. “One of the reflections that was sent online described Ajahn Chah’s response to monks who wanted to go out and help refugees. Can you speak to this?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Monastic life] [Service] [Politics and society] // [Thai Ajahn Chah monasteries] [Military] [Conflict]
Story: Ajahn Pasanno spends time at a Cambodian refugee camp. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Preah Mahāghosānanda]
16. “I spread lovingkindness from home and don’t have the good fortune of meeting with like minds who practice to perfect sīla. Any suggestions?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Lay life] [Goodwill] [Spiritual friendship] [Virtue]
Quote: Ajahn Chah to Ajahn Sumedho: “Do you mean to say there’s no good people in America?” [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Sumedho] [Culture/West]
1. “What meaningful impact do Buddhist monks have on the community?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life] [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support ] [Community] [Saṅgha] // [Culture/West] [Culture/Thailand] [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Wat Pah Nanachat] [Lunar observance days] [Abhayagiri]
Story: Ajahn Pasanno’s first visit to Wat Pah Pong. [Wat Pah Pong ] [Temporary ordination] [Thai Ajahn Chah monasteries]
2. “How closely do you and the other monks live together?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] [Abhayagiri] // [Ajahn Chah] [Communal harmony ] [Vinaya] [Seclusion] [Culture/West] [Culture/Thailand] [Monastic routine]
Quote: “Human beings. Those are beings with issues.” — Ajahn Chah. [Human] [Conflict]
3. “When you first ordained, you were just starting to learn about Buddhism. What changed that made you want to dive in?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] // [Meditation/Results] [Ajahn Chah]
Story: “If you want to stay with me, you have to stay at least five years.” — Ajahn Chah
4. “Will we get to see your kuti today?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Abhayagiri] [Lodging]
Story: Early history of Abhayagiri Monastery. [History/Western Buddhist monasticism] [Master Hsuan Hua] [Seclusion] [Culture/Natural environment]
5. “What was the hardest thing to give up?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Renunciation] // [Family]
Story: Ajahn Pasanno’s first visit back to Canada.
6. “In a Latin American country, the government privatized the water supply and passed a law making it illegal to collect rainwater. Everyone had to buy their water from Nestlé. Does this count as taking what is not given?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Stealing] [Politics and society] [Environment] // [Ajahn Pasanno] [Culture/Thailand]
7. “I have doubts about the concept of personal property. How does activism following the Five Precepts work in a country whose water supply has been bought out by private interests?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Politics and society] [Environment] [Five Precepts] // [Community] [Virtue] [Discernment]
Story: Ajahn Pasanno investigates a logging operation at Dtao Dtum. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Culture/Thailand] [Dtao Dum]
8. “If you could give your younger self one piece of information, what would it be?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] // [Restlessness and worry] [Fear]
9. “What were you like when you were 18?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] // [Delusion] [Spiritual search] [Intoxicants] [Relationships]
10. Comment: I haven’t heard any Buddhist teachers talk about wholesome romantic relationships. [Relationships] [Skillful qualities]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Family] [Treasures]
Sutta: AN 4.55 Samajīvī Sutta [Virtue]
11. “Can you talk about your environmental work in Thailand? What qualities of heart and inner strength help us live without being completely overwhelmed?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Environment ] [History/Thai Buddhism] // [Politics and society] [Culture/Thailand] [Greed] [Teaching Dhamma] [Panyaprateep School] [Food] [Dtao Dum] [Activism]
Story: Sri Lankan monastic kidney donors. [Health] [History/Sri Lankan Buddhism] [Generosity]
12. “What is the most important thing we can do to help the next generation in terms of the environment?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Environment ] // [Simplicity] [Contentment] [Greed]
13. Story: Ajahn Pasanno teaches communication skills to Thai villagers. Told by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] [History/Thai Buddhism] [Media] [Community] // [Environment] [Politics and society]
14. “What are the biggest misconceptions about being ordained?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life ] // [Selfishness ]
Story: Ajahn Pasanno visits Ajahn Buddhadāsa: “Don’t be selfish!” [Ajahn Buddhadāsa] [Ajahn Pasanno]
15. “What was your greatest desire as a kid?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Desire] // [Monastic life/Motivation] [Truth]
16. “Are there monastics who wander around the world without any home base or destination?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life] [Tudong ] // [Ajahn Sucitto] [Sequence of training] [Rains retreat] [Abhayagiri] [Requisites] [Ajahn Ñāṇiko] [Almsround] [Culture/West] [Almsfood] [Not handling money] [Generosity]
17. “Have you broken any precepts where only you know if you broke them?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Vinaya] [Ajahn Pasanno] // [Right Speech]
Story: Ajahn Pasanno’s uncle offers him alcohol. [Intoxicants] [Truth]
18. “For the sake of the precepts, what’s the definition of gossip?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Precepts] [Malicious speech] [Idle chatter]
19. “Does gossip include talking about someone who is not present for entertainment value?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Malicious speech ] [Idle chatter] // [Communal harmony] [Abhayagiri]
20. “Is the point of the precepts to create as much well-being and as little pain in your environment as possible?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Precepts ] [Happiness] // [Non-contention] [Communal harmony] [Trust]
21. “Is the philosophy of this community totally against fun?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life] [Entertainment and adornment] [Happiness] [Recreation/leisure/sport] // [Association with people of integrity] [Culture/Natural environment]
22. Comment: Some of the things that monastics avoid due to their precepts can be really beautiful. [Monastic life] [Vinaya]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno.
23. “Apart from cheating in a relationship or sexual assault, what is sexual misconduct?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Sexual misconduct ] // [Relationships]
24. “When all of the solar panels will be put in, how much of the monastery’s energy needs will be met?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Environment] [Abhayagiri]
25. “When’s your birthday?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno]
26. “Do the monks give each other massages?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life] [Health] // [Culture/Thailand]
27. “What do you think of our president right now?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Politics and society] // [Right Speech]
28. “What precepts don’t most people know about that have a big effect on your life?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life] [Vinaya ] // [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support] [Requisites] [Mindfulness] [Communal harmony]
29. “Do monastics talk with each other about the precepts they have broken or having wrong thoughts?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life] [Vinaya] [Saṅgha] [Christianity] // [Pāṭimokkha] [Confession] [Rains retreat] [Learning] [Abhayagiri] [Faith]
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