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]
Devotion and Ritual: Becoming the Buddha [2017], Session 3, Excerpt 3
Quote: “If you really want to pay homage to me, do the practice.” — The Buddha. Quoted by Ajahn Sudanto. [Buddha ] [Devotional practice ] [Meditation] [Abhayagiri] // [Ajahn Chah] [Cessation of Suffering] [Saṅgha]
Sutta: DN 16.5: Mahāparinibbāna Sutta.
Abhayagiri 25th Anniversary Retreat [2021], Session 6, Excerpt 13
“How does your relic puja work for you?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Relics] [Pūjā] [Prayer] [Devotional practice ] // [Respect] [Chanting]
Reference: “Great Chant of Universal Blessings,” Bhikkhu Manual, p. 135.
Western Disciples of the Thai Forest Tradition [2016], Session 48, Excerpt 1
1. Story: A radio interviewer says that the account in Venerable Father by Paul Breiter (commercial) sounds like a cult. Told by Paul Breiter. [Media] [Paul Breiter] [Cults] [Ajahn Chah] // [Devotional practice] [Leadership]
11. Quote: “He taught different people differently....He gave us what we needed.” — Paul Breiter. [Teaching Dhamma] [Mentoring] [Ajahn Chah] // [Paul Breiter] [Patience] [Monastic life] [Generosity] [Upatakh] [Devotional practice]
1. Recollection: My connection with Ajahn Chah. Recounted by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Ajahn Chah] // [Wat Pah Pong]
Quote: “If you want to stay here, you have to stay at least five years.” — Ajahn Chah. [Sequence of training]
Jack Kornfield arrives with a large picture of Ajahn Chah. [Jack Kornfield]
Story: The needlepoint Ajahn Chah portrait at Abhayagiri. [Abhayagiri] [Wat Pah Nanachat] [Devotional practice]
16. Story about creating sacred space around her dying husband. Told by Beth Steff. [Health care] [Devotional practice] [Relationships] [Death]
1. Devotional practice and the context and history of the Thai Forest Tradition. Reflection by Ajahn Pasanno. [Devotional practice] [Culture/Thailand] [Types of monks] [Thai Forest Tradition] // [Vinaya]
16. Comment about Asian and Western Buddhist perspectives regarding meditation and other aspects of practice encountered at Abhayagiri Monastery. [Cultural context] [Culture/West] [Meditation] [Devotional practice] [Thai Forest Tradition] [Ajahn Chah] [Abhayagiri]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Learning]
17. “One of the great gifts I’ve received over the last few years spending more time with the Bhikkhu Saṅgha is a sense of devotion, how it opens the heart. Is there a Pāli word or teaching around that principle?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Devotional practice] [Saṅgha] [Gratitude] [Pāli] [Thai Forest Tradition] // [Faculties] [Faith] [Energy]
18. Story: Ajahn Mahā Boowa bows to a newly-discovered photograph of Ajahn Mun. Told by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Mun] [Ajahn Mahā Boowa ] [Devotional practice] [Thai Forest Tradition] [Bowing] // [Ajahn Pasanno]
16. “I enjoy the teaching about devas, they seem to be a good counter-balance for left-brain people. Is it correct to say that the Hindu deities are included into the Buddhist universe as higher devas, mighty but not omniscient and impermanent beings? I am particularly interested in Shiva, who for me is a positive symbol of cessation, relinquishment and play of the elements. I know that Brahma is mentioned a lot in the Canon, but what about Shiva? Also, since Thailand borrowed a lot from Indian culture, are there any devotional practices for Hindu deities, and if yes are they somehow integrated with Buddhism, perhaps on a folk level?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Deva] [Hinduism] [Culture/India] [History/Thai Buddhism] [Culture/Thailand] [Devotional practice]
1. Description of the Ajahn Chah Remembrance Day at Wat Pah Pong. [Ajahn Chah Remembrance Day] [Wat Pah Pong] [Ajahn Chah] // [Devotional practice] [Gratitude]
15. Story: Ajahn Pasanno’s tudong in India with Ajahn Jayasaro. Told by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Ajahn Jayasaro] [Culture/India] [Tudong] // [Impermanence] [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support] [Not handling money] [Hinduism] [Islam] [Lodging] [Trust] [Almsround] [Visiting holy sites] [Compassion] [Devotional practice]
Story: An Indian Kshetriya notices that Ajahn Pasanno’s etiquette matches his training. [Vinaya] [Buddha/Biography]
Story: Ajahn Jayasaro tries to explain cricket to Ajahn Pasanno. [Recreation/leisure/sport]
5. “I wanted to confirm that we’re also not putting this self on other objects like the redness belonging to the rose.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Proliferation] [Not-self]
Quote: “It makes me suffer when those roses turn black and they’re still on the shrine...which happens all the time!” [Ajahn Pasanno] [Abhayagiri] [Devotional practice] [Impermanence]
1. “How does your relic puja work for you?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Relics] [Pūjā] [Prayer] [Devotional practice ] // [Respect] [Chanting]
Reference: “Great Chant of Universal Blessings,” Bhikkhu Manual, p. 135.
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] [Devotional practice]
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]
1. Recollection: Ajahn Mun chants for an hour before meditating. Recounted by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Mun] [Meditation] [Devotional practice] [Chanting]
6. “In your guided meditation, devotion to the teachings really touched me. Could you say more about this?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Devotional practice] [Recollection/Dhamma ] [Generosity] [Compassion] [Sutta] [Buddha/Biography] // [Faith] [Cultural context] [Respect] [Gratitude] [Culture/Thailand] [Three Refuges] [Relinquishment] [Release]
8. Comment: Devotion is what keeps rituals from becoming empty motions. [Devotional practice] [Ceremony/ritual]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Bowing]
13. Quote: “If you really want to pay homage to me, do the practice.” — The Buddha. Quoted by Ajahn Sudanto. [Buddha ] [Devotional practice ] [Meditation] [Abhayagiri] // [Ajahn Chah] [Cessation of Suffering] [Saṅgha]
Sutta: DN 16.5: Mahāparinibbāna Sutta.