22 excerpts, 1:51:33 total duration
3. “In the reading there was a lot of emphasis on solitude. Here we have a lot of time for that especially right now with our Winter Retreat, but we also have a lot of responsibilities and engagement in community. How would you recommend us balancing the two or using them to help each other?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Seclusion] [Abhayagiri] [Community] [Work] [Personality] // [Culture/Thailand] [Culture/India] [Ajahn Chah] [Unwholesome Roots] [Discernment] [Generosity] [Culture/West] [Self-identity view]
13. “I am still very attached to my husband and children. I don’t want to relinquish the intimacy I share with my husband. I will suffer when they are gone. How do I reconcile this practice of relinquishment with the reality that I am a wife, mother and householder? With love.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Gratitude] [Family ] [Lay life] [Relinquishment ] // [Spaciousness] [Suffering] [Clinging] [Cause of Suffering] [Communal harmony]
Quote: “Relinquishment is a skillful acknowledgement of the areas where we do create suffering.”
Story: Visākhā, the stream enterer who raised 20 children. [Great disciples] [Stream entry] [Culture/India]
Quote: “Families that grow up with strong spiritual models are an incredible blessing.” [Mentoring]
4. “What do the Pāḷi terms translated as impurity and foulness mean?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Pāli] [Translation] [Aversion] [Unattractiveness] // [Etymology] [Sensual desire]
Simile: MN 119.7: Sack of grains.
Comment: Words themselves like “impure” are culturally loaded. [Language] [Cultural context] [Culture/India]
7. “What is the mileage from Lumbini to Bodh Gaya?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo and Ajahn Jotipālo. [Visiting holy sites]
Quote: “One mile in India does not equal a mile in America.” — Ajahn Karuṇadhammo [Culture/India]
Reference: Rude Awakenings and Great Patient One by Ajahn Sucitto and Nick Scott.
17. “Do you split up your almsfood?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Almsbowl] [Almsfood] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Ajahn Jayasaro] [Tudong] [Generosity] // [Culture/India]
2. “If the Buddha had been born elsewhere, would he have turned out the same way?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Buddha/Biography] [Cultural context] // [Commentaries] [Culture/India ] [Spiritual search] [Renunciation] [Mahāyāna] [Saṃsāra]
4. “Why did Jīvaka ask whether a virtuous lay follower is practicing for themselves or others (AN 8.26)?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Great disciples] [Lay life] [Virtue] [Compassion] [Buddhist identity] // [Culture/India] [Lunar observance days] [Teaching Dhamma]
Vinaya: Kd 2.1.1: Origin of Lunar Observance Days.
4. “Could you speak a little about the structure of the Pali Canon? How much was written down in the Buddha’s time?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Tipiṭaka] [History/Early Buddhism] [Dhamma books] // [Culture/India] [Memory] [Chanting] [Vinaya] [Sutta] [Abhidhamma]
9. “Was sati, vedana, jhana part of the religious climate current at the Buddha’s time? How revolutionary was he seen to be then? Do we know?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [History/Early Buddhism] [Buddha/Biography] [Mindfulness] [Feeling] [Jhāna] // [Four Noble Truths] [Aggregates] [Culture/India ] [Kamma] [Volition]
5. “How do we use sutta study in our practice and what are the pitfalls?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Sutta] [Views] [Learning ] // [Non-contention] [Self-identity view] [Culture/India] [Relinquishment]
Sutta: MN 18
4. Story: Learning the Paṭimokkha. Told by Ajahn Pasanno. [Pāṭimokkha] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Chanting] // [Ajahn Chah] [Culture/India]
Responses by Ajahn Ñāṇiko, Ajahn Karuṇadhammo and Ajahn Kaccāna.
7. “Why is turning the left side of your body to the Buddha disrespectful? How does one disregard another person in a skillful way to remove resentment? (AN 5.161)” Answered by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Respect] [Ill-will] // [Goodwill] [Culture/India] [Culture/Thailand] [Theravāda]