1. “Realized beings abound these days. Care to comment? When the conditions are conducive and the inquiry is in earnest, is it possible to wake up quickly?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Stages of awakening] [Saṅgha] [Progress of insight] [Ardency] [Conditionality] // [Patience] [Ajahn Pasanno]
Quote: “Buddhism hasn’t come to America yet.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Culture/West] [Insight Meditation Society]
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]
13. “How often does the community reject someone who wants to go forth?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Sequence of training] [Abhayagiri] [Saṅgha] [Saṅgha decision making] // [Vinaya]
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 ] [Saṅgha] [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]
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]
1. “How does upatakhing fit into our training and what can we learn from it?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Upatakh ] [Vinaya] [Respect for elders] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] // [Culture/Thailand] [Conceit] [Generosity] [Protocols] [Discernment] [Mindfulness]
Vinaya: Cv 8: Vattakkhandhaka - Protocols
Story: Ajahn Lee upataks Ajahn Mun. The Autobiography of Phra Ajahn Lee by Ajahn Lee Dhammadharo, p. 23. [Ajahn Mun] [Ajahn Lee Dhammadharo]
2. “I assume at Abhayagiri the upatakh sleeps in his own dwelling place? (in contrast to the previous story of Ajahn Lee)” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Abhayagiri] [Upatakh] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] // [Sickness] [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Other Thai monastics]
3. “What is the value of living in community?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life] [Saṅgha ] // [Self-identity view] [Continuity of mindfulness] [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Tongrat] [Views] [Requisites] [Not handling money]
5. Comment: It’s important for the Saṅgha to look after all members in terms of sickness and ageing. [Sickness] [Ageing] [Health care ] [Death] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha ]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno.
Vinaya: Kd 8.26.1-8: The Monk with Dysentery [Buddha/Biography]
Recollections of Saṅgha members who have died. [Saṅgha ] [Wat Pah Nanachat] [History/Western Buddhist monasticism]
3. “Can you talk about Ajahn Chah’s use of bowing, communal pūjās, and chores?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Monastic routine] [Chanting] [Saṅgha] [Monastic life] [Work] [Bowing] // [Becoming] [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support] [Respect for elders]
Story: A Westerner asks Ajahn Chah, “Why do we bow?”
4. “Can you clarify what “field of merit” means?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Saṅgha] [Recollection/Saṅgha] [Generosity] [Recollection/Generosity] [Monastic life] [Merit]
1. “Ajahn Chah encouraged his monks to all come together for communal chores and stay until the chores are finished. Why is that?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Work] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] // [Communal harmony] [Relinquishment] [Clinging] [Culture/West]
2. “What does morning pūjā contribute?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Chanting] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] // [Devotion to wakefulness]
3. “Will practice as a group help us in solitude?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Seclusion] [Meditation/General advice] [Community] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha]
4. “How do we balance solitude and communal aspects of practice?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Seclusion] [Community] [Meditation/General advice] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] // [Ajahn Pasanno]
5. Comment: Some deep-seated patterns may be more visible to others than ourselves. [Community] [Outflows] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Aversion] [Self-identity view]
6. “Is there a place to point out others’ difficulties [in the practice]?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Admonishment/feedback] [Right Speech] [Community] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] // [Ajahn Chah] [Teaching Dhamma]
7. “What is the role of admonishement? How do we admonish skillfully?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Admonishment/feedback ] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] // [Right Intention] [Goodwill] [Mentoring] [Respect for elders]
Vinaya: Kd 18.11.14, Kd 18.12.8: Mutual admonishment between teacher and student.
Story: Ajahn Amaro waits a year before giving feedback. [Ajahn Amaro] [Patience]
Quote: “Don’t admonish somebody before the meal.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah]
8. “Does the proper timing of admonishment depend on the severity of the offense?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Admonishment/feedback] [Vinaya] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha]
9. “When and how should one respond to offenses of middling severity?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Admonishment/feedback] [Vinaya] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha]
10. “I’ve heard that someone asked Ajahn Chah if he could read his students’ minds. He replied that he didn’t need to; he just watched how they walked in the door and bowed. Do you get a feel for this over time?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Psychic powers] [Teaching Dhamma] [Mindfulness of body] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] [Bowing]
12. “Have you found it necessary to recommend psychotherapy or medication for monks who have deep-seated ruts of suffering?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Western psychology ] [Suffering] [Long-term practice] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] // [Ajahn Pasanno]
15. “Does the stability of monastic community help prevent spiritual bypassing?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Spiritual bypass] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha]
17. “Abhayagiri’s daily and yearly schedule provide a good balance of individual and communal practice. How did this happen?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Abhayagiri] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Ajahn Amaro] [Seclusion] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] // [History/Western Buddhist monasticism]
10. “Did you mention what the trancendent truth of the Saṅgha was?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Saṅgha] [Truth] [Three Refuges] // [Eightfold Path] [Stages of awakening] [Conventions] [Chanting] [Recollection/Saṅgha]
10. “For the next 25 years, what will be the leading light for the direction of Abhayagiri? Is there any collective vision?” Answered by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Abhayagiri] [Saṅgha] // [Building projects] [Lodging]
1. “What do you do at Abhayagiri? What is the value of being a monk? What’s the value of having a global saṅgha?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Abhayagiri] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] // [Monasteries] [Fear] [Culture/Natural environment] [Community]
5. “What is often the most neglected quality in individual monks? What are the most important qualities to develop for the benefit of the group?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] // [Idealism ] [Drawbacks] [Aspects of Understanding] [Four Noble Truths] [Patience]
Sutta: AN 22.26: Assādasutta
Quote: “Other than me, everyone is irritating!” [Saṅgha] [Aversion] [Humor]