Subtags: Impermanence, Suffering, Not-self, Naturalness, Lawfulness, Conditionality, Emptiness, Suchness, Not-made-of-that
37 excerpts, 2:46:56 total duration
“From my limited understanding, when the construction of self drops away in meditation, the is joy and peace. This makes me think that deep insight into anatta might be profoundly blissful. I’m having trouble seeing how the same would be true for dukkha and anicca. Can you help?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Not-self] [Insight meditation] [Happiness] [Characteristics of existence ] [Impermanence] [Suffering]
Thanksgiving Retreat 2016, Session 3, Excerpt 1
“With your meditation object, when you turn to contemplate it in terms of the three characteristics: anicca, dukkha and anatta, and that doesn’t come up, does that mean you need to stabilize the mind more to see the object more clearly?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Meditation] [Disenchantment] [Characteristics of existence ] [Concentration] // [Self-identity view] [Knowledge and vision] [Relinquishment] [Dhamma]
Our Roots in the Thai Forest Tradition (2014), Session 27, Excerpt 1
23. What does not suffering mean? Reflection by Jack Kornfield. [Suffering] [Cessation of Suffering] [Ajahn Chah] // [Judgementalism] [Politics and society] [Discrimination] [Environment] [Discernment] [Compassion] [Human] [Buddha] [Proliferation] [Relinquishment]
Quote: “We human beings are constantly in combat, at war to escape the fact of being limited by so many circumstances that we can’t control...”” — Ajahn Chah. [Conflict] [Characteristics of existence]
Quote: “Doubts are natural.” — Ajahn Chah. [Doubt] [Naturalness] [Impermanence] [Not-self] [Liberation]
Quote: “The desire mind is like children.” — Ajahn Chah. [Desire] [Similes]
Story: “Scary ride, wasn’t it?” [Jack Kornfield] [Thai Ajahn Chah monasteries] [Fear] [Death]
3. Ārammaṇupanijjhāna (meditation using an object as a focus) and lakkhaṇupanijjhāna (meditation using the characteristics as a focus); when to contemplate anicca, dukkha, anatta. Teaching by Ajahn Pasanno. [Jhāna] [Calming meditation] [Insight meditation] [Characteristics of existence] [Concentration]
[Session] Introducing the fourth tetrad of the Ānāpānasati Sutta (MN 118), Ajahn Pasanno reflects on impermanence as the doorway into the relam of insight. Mindfulness of breathing can illuminate all three characteristics of impermanence, suffering, and not-self. [Impermanence] [Mindfulness of breathing] [Characteristics of existence]
1. Making impermanence the focal point for attending to the breath. Teaching by Ajahn Pasanno. [Impermanence] [Mindfulness of breathing] [Characteristics of existence] // [Insight meditation] [Direct experience]
2. Animitta samādhi takes impermanence as its object and is not drawn into the characteristics of things. Teaching by Ajahn Pasanno. [Concentration] [Impermanence] [Mindfulness of breathing] [Characteristics of existence] // [Robes] [Nimitta] [Knowing itself]
3. When one sees through dukkha, the concentration that develops is called appaṇihita samādhi. Teaching by Ajahn Pasanno. [Suffering] [Concentration] [Impermanence] [Mindfulness of breathing] [Characteristics of existence] // [Desire] [Directed thought and evaluation] [Liberation]
Quote: “Imagine a mental state that isn’t looking for anything else.”
4. Emptiness is the experiential counterpoint of not-self. Teaching by Ajahn Pasanno. [Not-self] [Emptiness ] [Impermanence] [Mindfulness of breathing] [Characteristics of existence] // [Conditionality]
4. “I’m having trouble integrating some of the teachings in the context of preparing to have a child...How might one be fully open to the lightness and joy surrounding birth while remaining deeply aware of these other truths of existence?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Family] [Birth ] [Characteristics of existence] // [Trust] [Heedfulness] [Generosity]
6. “Is the following correct? -The 3 Characteristics can be seen as verbs? The end of Dukkha occurs when the 3 Characteristics are fully understood..? Dukkha in the outside world continues but one who realized the Truth is not ‘dukkha-ed’ because anatta is understood?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Characteristics of existence] [Cessation of Suffering] [Not-self]
4. “Could you talk about contemplation in meditation? You mentioned earlier about using methods; my understanding is that they help one to calm the mind. How does one get into the state of contemplation without disturbing that calm state of mind?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Recollection] [Calming meditation] [Insight meditation] [Characteristics of existence] // [Mindfulness] [Clear comprehension] [Directed thought and evaluation] [Cessation of Suffering] [Desire] [Bases of Success]
1. “I was struck by the simile of the stone being heavy, but you won’t know it’s heavy unless you pick it up, and it’s just like suffering. You don’t have to pick it up. I’m battling a loss in my life, and I’m suffering. I didn’t pick up the stone. It was flung at me. I’m not sure how to deal....” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Similes] [Ajahn Chah] [Suffering] [Grief] [Christianity] // [Human] [Naturalness ] [Equanimity] [Self-identity view] [Goodwill] [Discernment]
Reference: Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 55: Five Recollections [Characteristics of existence] [Recollection/Death] [Kamma]
Quote: “Whenever you get into a fight with nature, you always lose.” [Characteristics of existence]
Quote: “What makes it heavy is the ‘me’ bit.”
1. “With your meditation object, when you turn to contemplate it in terms of the three characteristics: anicca, dukkha and anatta, and that doesn’t come up, does that mean you need to stabilize the mind more to see the object more clearly?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Meditation] [Disenchantment] [Characteristics of existence ] [Concentration] // [Self-identity view] [Knowledge and vision] [Relinquishment] [Dhamma]
2. Commentary on AN 9.36, “Jhāna.” Teaching by Ajahn Pasanno. [Jhāna] [Formless attainments] [Characteristics of existence] [Aggregates] [Liberation] [Deathless] [Progress of insight] [Relinquishment] [Nibbāna]
3. Further discussion about the role of desire in practice. Led by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Desire] [Sensual desire] [Naturalness] [Craving] // [Noble Truth of Suffering] [Conditionality] [Human] [Monastic life] [Judgementalism]
Comment: If you aren’t willing to see desire as a dhamma, then you’ll never see Dhamma. [Dhamma] [Culture/West] [Guilt/shame/inadequacy]
Reference: “Why Come to a Monastery?” by Ajahn Candasiri in Friends on the Path by Ajahn Sundarā and Ajahn Candasiri, pp. 13-21.
A practitioner tells Ajahn Paññāvaḍḍho that sexual desire is natural. He replies, “So is the Dhamma.” [Ajahn Paññāvaḍḍho]
Recollection of Ajahn Karuṇadhammo’s advice to an anagārika about different approaches to dealing with lust. Recounted by Ajahn Pesalo. [Ajahn Karuṇadhammo] [Unattractiveness] [Characteristics of existence]
1. “From my limited understanding, when the construction of self drops away in meditation, the is joy and peace. This makes me think that deep insight into anatta might be profoundly blissful. I’m having trouble seeing how the same would be true for dukkha and anicca. Can you help?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Not-self] [Insight meditation] [Happiness] [Characteristics of existence ] [Impermanence] [Suffering]
10. “Does having no craving mean doing things in the world knowing they won’t bring lasting satisfaction? For example, planning a vacation realizing that it will eventually end or taking measures to cure a headache without expecting to feel completely better. I am trying to understand how this would look like in real life without one becoming apathetic and depressed about the meaninglessness of basically all activities except meditation. How to balance the ability to still enjoy life with abandoning all craving?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Craving ] [Characteristics of existence] [Depression] [Happiness] // [Cause of Suffering] [Desire] [Generosity]
Story: Ajahn Pasanno is planning to take his mother to Hawaii. “And I think I’ll enjoy it too!” [Ajahn Pasanno] [Parents] [Travel]
2. “Can you talk more about the shift from feeling unsafe to feeling safe?” Answered by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Fear] // [Knowing itself] [Suffering] [Pandemic]
Quote: “Being alive has many inherent risks.” — Sondra Jewell. [Characteristics of existence] [Impermanence]