Nibbāna
Nature of the cosmos / Nibbāna
Part of tag cluster Nibbāna in key topic Fruits of the Practice
Alternative translations: Unbinding
Also a subtag of Stages of awakening
Subtags: Deathless, Unestablished consciousness, Unconditioned
32 excerpts, 2:54:57 total duration

All excerpts (34) Most relevant (24) Questions about (14) Answers involving (12) Stories (1) Quotes (8) Readings (1) Texts (2)


Remembering Ajahn Chah Weekend, Session 6 – Apr. 28, 2001

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2. Favorite verses of Ajahn Chah: “Buddhaṃ me jīvitaṃ yāva-nibbānaṃ saraṇaṃ gacchāmi.” Recounted by Ajahn Amaro. [Mantra] [Ajahn Chah] [Three Refuges] [Nibbāna] [Chanting] // [Unwholesome Roots] [Ajahn Sundarā]

Quote: “Nibbāna is complete normality.” — Ajahn Chah [Nibbāna] [Naturalness]


Remembering Ajahn Chah Weekend, Session 7 – Apr. 28, 2001

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[Session] Chanting on Buddha, Dhamma and Saṇgha. Offered by Ajahn Sundarā. [Three Refuges] [Nibbāna]


Metta Retreat, Session 3 – Sep. 11, 2008

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6. “Can you speak about working with fear and loss of ego identity, fear, and death?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Fear] [Self-identity view] [Death] // [Goodwill] [Aggregates] [Impermanence] [Delusion] [Faith] [Eightfold Path] [Perfections] [Recollection]

Reference: Description of dukkha. [Suffering]

Quote: “We respond to teachings on liberation and Nibbāna with a curious sense of fear and trepidation.” — Ajahn Mahā Boowa speaking about Ajahn Mun [Ajahn Mahā Boowa] [Ajahn Mun] [Liberation] [Nibbāna] [Family] [Clinging]


Recollections of Ajahn Chah, Session 11 – Sep. 19, 2010

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6. Reading from the draft biography: Ajahn Chah in the early years: spare, stern, and vigorous. Read by Ajahn Pasanno. [Personality] [Personal presence] [Ardency] [Ascetic practices] [Ajahn Chah] // [Similes]

Reference: Stillness Flowing by Ajahn Jayasaro, p. 137

Quote: “Nibbāna lies on the shores of death.” — Ajahn Chah [Nibbāna] [Death]


Brightening the Mind, Session 1 – Aug. 19, 2012

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2. Comment: Ajahn Chah said that Nibbāna is letting go, but this is difficult to do at deep levels. [Ajahn Chah] [Nibbāna] [Relinquishment] [Suffering]

Responses by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Yatiko. [Self-identity view] [Practicing in accordance with Dhamma]


The Gradual Training, Session 1 – Oct. 20, 2012

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2. “In the example you gave of the snake (MN 22), can you give an example of how the Dhamma can bite you?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Yatiko. [Similes] [Gradual Teaching] // [Abhidhamma] [Conflict] [Meditation/Techniques] [Clinging] [Unwholesome Roots] [Right Intention] [Learning]

Story: The teachings of Dhammakaya. Told by Ajahn Pasanno. [Self-identity view] [Commerce/economics] [Nibbāna] [Generosity]

Story: An Abhidhamma teacher visits Ajahn Chah. Told by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah]


Abhayagiri Monastic Retreat 2013, Session 7 – Nov. 29, 2013

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9. “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]


Abhayagiri 2014 Winter Retreat, Session 35 – Feb. 21, 2014

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9. A retreatant expresses appreciation for the concept of non-stickiness. [Gratitude] [Release] [Nibbāna]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Idealism] [Thai Forest Tradition] [Personality] [Mae Chee Kaew] [Language]


Abhayagiri 2014 Winter Retreat, Session 46 – Mar. 10, 2014

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14. “If you don’t think you will reach Nibbāna in this life, did Ajahn Chah advise a place to aspire for rebirth in?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Anan] [Pure Land] [Ajahn Dtun] [Death] [Nibbāna] [Rebirth] [Buddha] [Ajahn Chah] // [Culture/Thailand] [Merit] [Fierce/direct teaching]


Thai Forest Tradition, Session 3 – Jun. 14, 2014

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4. “When Ajahn Liem says, ‘Practice is just for practice,’ what arises for me is that any time I put a meaning on practice, there has to be an ego state that arises around that meaning....It’s like letting go even o fthe idea of practicing in order to become enlightened.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Liem] [Practicing in accordance with Dhamma] [Self-identity view] [Becoming] [Thai Forest Tradition] [Liberation] [Relinquishment]

Quote: “Practicing for Nibbāna is just another kind of desire.” — Ajahn Chah [Ajahn Chah] [Nibbāna] [Desire]


Abhayagiri 2015 Winter Retreat, Session 33 – Feb. 22, 2015

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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]


Abhayagiri 2015 Winter Retreat, Session 43 – Mar. 9, 2015

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[Session] [Nibbāna]

Reading: Introduction to Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha p. 31-32 (quoted in The Island by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro, p. 36-37).

Reading: The Island by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro, p. 222-224, 30-31.


Abhayagiri 2015 Winter Retreat, Session 45 – Mar. 15, 2015

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9. “Is the goal (Nibbāna) a thought-less state of mind?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo and Ajahn Pasanno. [Nibbāna] [Heart/mind] [Directed thought and evaluation] [Formless attainments] // [Cessation of Suffering] [Relinquishment] [Impermanence]

“Who is the only person who doesn’t think? An arahant? A Buddha?” “No. The only person who doesn’t think is a dead person.” – Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Arahant] [Buddha] [Death]


Jhāna: A Practical Approach, Session 3 – Oct. 10, 2015

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11. “How are the jhāna factors causal bases for awareness to relase into Nibbāna? Do they diminish craving all the way?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Release] [Nibbāna] [Craving] [Jhāna] // [Contentment]


2015 Thanksgiving Monastic Retreat, Session 3 – Nov. 23, 2015

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15. “In a Dhamma talk at Abhayagiri, you quoted Luang Por Chah as saying ‘Nibbāna lies on the shores of death.’ Could you say more about this?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Nibbāna] [Death] [Ajahn Chah] // [Relinquishment]

Quote: “Oftentimes we’re really not ready to let go until there’s absolutely no alternative left.”


2015 Thanksgiving Monastic Retreat, Session 4 – Nov. 24, 2015

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4. “‘Luminous is the mind.’ Is the luminous mind conditioned or unconditioned? If unconditioned, then it’s Nirvana. If conditioned/impermanent, then Nirvana is beyond the mind? Yet it can be known by the mind?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Nature of mind] [Unconditioned] [Nibbāna]

Sutta: AN 1.49


2015 Thanksgiving Monastic Retreat, Session 8 – Nov. 28, 2015

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27. “Do you think it’s possible to experience Nibbāna before becoming fully awakened - ‘moments of enlightenment?’ But if Nibbāna is beyond consciousness, would you remember that it happened?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Nibbāna] [Stages of awakening] [Consciousness] // [Stream entry ]


Thanksgiving Retreat 2016, Session 5 – Nov. 23, 2016

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10. “This morning as I was walking upstairs, my mind suddenly went bright and clear for a brief time. Was this a glimpse of Nibbana? And if so, where do I catch the express train?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Nibbāna] // [Clinging] [Self-identity view]


The Teaching and the Training, Session 11 – Mar. 29, 2018

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4. “At the beginning of this retreat, Tan Ajahn Anan advised us, “Don’t forget Nibbāna.” How do we orient ourselves towards Nibbāna?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Nibbāna ] [Ajahn Anan] [Monastic life] // [Dispassion] [Cessation of Suffering] [Etymology] [Stream entry]

Sutta: AN 10.60: Girimānanda Sutta [Cessation] [Nibbāna ]

Sutta: SN 56.11: “Whatever is of the nature to arise, that is of the nature to cease.” [Conditionality]

Quote: “[The goal] is incredibly worthy, and it is not beyound our capability and means to experience.” [Nibbāna ] [Direct experience]


Developing Skill in Reflective Meditation, Session 2 – Dec. 1, 2019

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3. “You mentioned the example of the monk who wanted to commit suicide and then he remembered his virtue and that uplifted him. In the Saṃyutta Nikaya there are a few instances where monks committeed suicide, but the Buddha said they attained Nibbāna (SN 22.87 Vakkali; SN 35.87 Channa). How is that possible?” Answered by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Monastic life] [Suicide] [Sutta] [Buddha/Biography] [Recollection] [Nibbāna] // [Jhāna] [Māra] [Saṃsāra] [Delusion]


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6. Quote: “We have to get out of the habit of being theives.” — Ajahn Buddhadāsa. Quoted by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Buddhadāsa] [Relinquishment] [Stealing] [Recollection] // [Aggregates] [Clinging] [Naturalness]

Quote: “The peace of Nibbāna is note something that you gain, that you get, that you claim ownership over; it’s by relinquishing and releasing these bases of identity.” [Nibbāna] [Recollection/Peace] [Release] [Self-identity view]


Stanford Community Dhamma Discussion – Apr. 25, 2020

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2. “What advice do you have for students or graduates hoping to progess on the Noble Path towards Nibbāna while a student or in the workplace?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Eightfold Path] [Nibbāna] [Learning] [Work] [Lay life ] // [Human] [Discernment] [Compassion] [Generosity] [Perfectionism] [Desire] [Suffering] [Politics and society] [Simplicity] [Environment] [Depression] [Restlessness and worry] [Skillful qualities] [Community]


Madison Insight Retreat 2023, Session 3 – Oct. 15, 2023

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6. “Please, a short talk on Nibbāna.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Nibbāna ] // [Cessation of Suffering] [Cessation] [Unwholesome Roots] [Relinquishment] [Jhāna]

Quote: “Nibbāna is not a thing.” [Nibbāna ]

Sutta: Ud 3.10: Yena yena hi maññati, tato taṁ hoti aññathā. – “For however one conceives it, it is always other than that.”

Reference: The Island by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro


Interreligious Retreat-Seminar on Dhamma and Non-duality, Session 4 – Nov. 26, 2023

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1. “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 alex fits into the wheel. [Language] [History/Indian Buddhism]

Sutta: SN 22.22: Dhammacakkappavattanasutta (Chanting Book translation)

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Teaching: The four forms of 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]