Part of key topic Unskillful Qualities
Also a subtag of Conceit-related
See also: Doctrine-of-self clinging, Conceit
168 excerpts, 13:18:47 total duration
6. “If I remember correctly, you said with practice what can be realized is not so much the abandonment of the self but the misperception of a self given there has never been a self to be abandoned, correct?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Not-self] // [Clinging] [Doctrine-of-self clinging] [Self-identity view] [Aggregates]
Sutta: MN 72.15: I-making and my-making (aṅkārama-maṅkāra). [Self-identity view] [Conceit]
2. “What is the relationship between truthfulness, the truth of the way things are, and metta?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo.
Bhikkhu Bodhi presents the Ten Perfections in linear order. Comment by Ajahn Jotipālo. [Bhikkhu Bodhi] [Perfections]
Reference: A Study of the the Pāramīs by Bhikkhu Bodhi.
The preception of not-self helps us avoid denying unskillful mind states. Comment by Ajahn Kaccāna. [Not-self] [Truth] [Unskillful qualities] [Self-identity view]
2. “Is desire itself the problem or is clinging to and identifying with desire the problem?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Desire] [Clinging] [Self-identity view] [Sensual desire] [Naturalness ] [Craving ] // [Feeling] [Dependent origination]
Quote: “Taṇhā is eliminate-able.” [Cessation of Suffering]
Comment about distinguishing between hunger and taṇha at meal time. [Food] [Moderation in eating]
Response by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo and Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Views]
3. Comment: In “Selves and Not-Selves,” Ajahn Ṭhānissaro talks about generosity and metta as wisdom practices. [Ajahn Ṭhānissaro] [Generosity] [Goodwill] [Discernment] // [Self-identity view]
Response by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Becoming] [Not-self]
1. “Is Ajahn Sumedho saying that art is always coming from a place of ego?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Artistic expression] [Self-identity view] // [Doubt]
Quote: “How do we respond to doubt? ...out of fear, out of worry? How do we try to make things certain and sure? That’s what we have to figure out.” [Fear] [Impermanence]
2. Comment about the arising of self even in abstract thought. Contributed by Ajahn Kaccāna. [Proliferation] [Self-identity view]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Self-identity view] [Cause of Suffering]
3. Comments by Ajahn Jotipālo, Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Ñāṇiko about self in creative endeavors. [Artistic expression] [Self-identity view] // [Christianity] [Discernment] [Tranquility] [Buddha/Biography] [Ajahn Liem]
1. “At what point does it become unskillful to continue to reflect on one’s own good deeds?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Beth Steff. [Recollection/Virtue] [Unskillful qualities] // [Self-identity view] [Right Effort] [Recollection/Generosity] [Culture/West] [Christianity] [Guilt/shame/inadequacy]
Quote: “In Buddhism, we don’t believe in original sin. We believe in original purity.” — King Rama IX to a BBC interviewer. [King Rama IX] [Nature of mind]
Reference: The 1979 BBC interview on YouTube.
Commentary: Path of Purification by Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli, p. 104: Forty subjects of meditation.
Story: Western researchers find Tibetans who have been tortured don’t suffer post-traumatic stress. [Abuse/violence] [Vajrayāna] [Three Refuges] [Compassion]
Story: God’s finger over the “Smite” button. [God] [The Far Side]
Comment by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo: The Dalai Lama emphasizes the effect of faith in the law of kamma. [Dalai Lama] [Kamma] [Faith]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Right View]
2. Discussion about evaluating the results of practice. Led by Ajahn Pasanno. [Meditation/Results] [Right Effort] // [Faith] [Investigation of states] [Self-identity view] [Not-self]
Comment: I notice that I have preconceptions about the way I evaluate my practice.
Response: Ajahn Pasanno distinguishes between investigation and evaluation. [Self-identity view]
The very pattern, “What will make me good enough?” is suffering. Comment by Ajahn Kaccāna. [Habits] [Self-identity view] [Cause of Suffering]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno.
Story: Aversion towards the nada sound and the importance of having a teacher. Told by Ajahn Jotipālo. [Teachers] [Ajahn Jotipālo] [Sound of silence] [Aversion] [Insight Meditation Society] [Ajahn Amaro]
4. “In the West, we personalize every bit of suffering. Is it different in Thailand?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Culture/West ] [Suffering] [Self-identity view] [Culture/Thailand] // [Language] [Liberation]
Story: Ajahn Pasanno can’t translate guilt into Thai. Told by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Guilt/shame/inadequacy] [Thai] [Translation]
Quote: “That’s really suffering. Tell them not to do that.” — Ajahn Paññānanda. [Ajahn Paññānanda]
Reference: Can’t We Talk about Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast (commercial). [Ageing] [Sickness] [Parents] [Health care]
9. “I like the translations ‘conscience’ and ‘concern’ for hiri and otappa. Having done unskillful actions in the past that create suffering, and being aware of the tendency to personalize, how can it be over and done?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Treasures] [Conscience and prudence ] [Unskillful qualities] [Suffering] [Kamma] [Self-identity view] // [Four Noble Truths] [Divine Abidings]
Quote: “As a human being, I have the opportunity to learn from the past and move on to skillful action in the future. I don’t have to be like a dog that barfs stuff up and goes back and eats it again.” — Ajahn Pasanno. [Human] [Learning] [Skillful qualities] [Similes]
Quote: “The not-self refrain, ‘This is not me, this is not mine, this is not what or who I am,’ is not an abdication of responsibility but an understanding, ‘This is the way I can put things down and move on, move past the things that are still creating suffering.’” — Ajahn Pasanno. [Not-self] [Relinquishment]
Suttas: SN 42.8 The Conch Blower; AN 3.100: A Lump of Salt.
7. “In practice we are often doing battle with our defilements. Can you speak about ways of “gladdening” the heart?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Unwholesome Roots] [Gladdening the mind] // [Ajahn Pasanno] [Conflict] [Self-identity view] [Skillful qualities]
Quote: “Quit picking a fight with them.” [Right Effort]
6. “Please talk about fixed views and the nine conceits.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Views ] [Conceit ] // [Pāli] [Proliferation ] [Craving] [Self-identity view] [Cessation of Suffering] [Competitiveness] [Culture/West]
Teaching: The three papañcadhammas.
7. “Would you have some suggestions on working with shame? As an emotion, it feels very “sticky” and probably the hardest one for me to work with. It seems like it is deeply rooted in my mind (probably thanks to Christianity). Is it true that Thai people have an easier time with it than westerners? Is an antidote to shame self-compassion?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Guilt/shame/inadequacy ] [Culture/Thailand] [Culture/West] [Compassion] // [Goodwill] [Self-identity view] [Relinquishment]
10. “How would you describe romantic love? And how do you know if it is real or wishful thinking?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Relationships ] [Delusion] // [Self-identity view] [Faith] [Virtue] [Generosity] [Discernment]
Quote: “I think you’re asking the wrong person!”
Sutta: AN 4.55
7. “As I get deeper insights how conditioned the mind is, there is a sense of burden being released but also a doubt began to arise: If the mind is conditioned, how is it even possible to arrive at the Unconditioned? Does free will even exist or am I just pushed around by kilesas? If the trick is to recognize that there is no free will, how can I sincerely believe that when I’m making choices to practice and do wholesome deeds, they really matter and it’s not my delusion? Please dispel my doubts!” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Nature of mind ] [Doubt] [Unconditioned] [Delusion] // [Four Noble Truths] [Self-identity view] [Questions] [Conditionality]
8. “Could you describe the detail of the four noble truths? What are they? How do we apply them to real modern lives?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Four Noble Truths ] // [Suffering] [Sense restraint] [Conditionality] [Self-identity view]
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]
5. “I am tangled up in self-identification and conceit. What should I do to get myself out?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Self-identity view ] [Conceit] // [Suffering] [Discernment] [Relinquishment] [Clinging]
4. “Is realization of anatta a sudden event or does it happen gradually with sense of self becoming less and less dense until it eventually dissolves?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Not-self] [Progress of insight ] [Self-identity view] // [Relinquishment]
5. “Can you please give some guidance on recognizing delusion in the mind? Greed and aversion seem easier to spot.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Delusion ] // [Restlessness and worry] [Fear] [Self-identity view]
Quote: “It’s like riding along on a horse and asking, ‘Where’s the horse? Where’s the horse?’” [Ajahn Chah] [Jack Kornfield]
13. “I sometimes experience states in which the body is very relaxed and it is easy to become very absorbed in the breath. They are pleasurable and quite calming but is there something I should do with them?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Calming meditation] [Mindfulness of breathing] [Concentration ] [Happiness] // [Discernment] [Self-identity view]
6. Comment: I’ve been reflecting on freedom from as opposed to freedom within. Sometimes there’s a secret hope that those thoughts will go away, vibhava-taṇha, as opposed to freedom within, meaning releasing the identification with painful thoughts. [Craving not to become] [Self-identity view] [Release] [Directed thought and evaluation] // [Hindrances]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Suffering]
Quote: “Just that much.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Disenchantment]
7. “Do thoughts by themselves have karmic consequences?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Kamma] [Directed thought and evaluation] // [Perception] [Feeling] [Volition] [Self-identity view]
Sutta: MN 56: Upāli
Follow-up: “Is it good kamma to decide not to act on an unskillful thought?” [Skillful qualities]
Story: A person talks with Ajahn Liem, analyzing their consistently bad thoughts and obsessions. He replies, “If you see a pile of excrement, why would you want to stick your nose in it?” Told by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Ajahn Liem] [Unskillful qualities] [Similes] [Fierce/direct teaching] [Culture/Thailand] [Thai Forest Tradition]
Comment: I think my problem is that my nose is already in there, and I don’t want to realize that I’m so stupid that it’s hard to get it out. [Self-identity view] [Delusion]
9. Comment: It’s so hard not to identify with the contents of the mind, to not make it me and mine. Realizing how useless so many of my thoughts are helps. [Self-identity view] [Guilt/shame/inadequacy] [Suffering] [Disenchantment] [Directed thought and evaluation]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Mindfulness] [Pāli]
Response by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Not-self] [Humility]
2. “How do we deal with the complications that go into the loss of loved ones?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Grief] [Clinging] // [Self-identity view] [Suffering]
5. Comment: The mind can get caught on relinquishment itself. [Relinquishment] [Clinging] // [Compassion]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Views] [Attachment to precepts and practices] [Self-identity view] [Appropriate attention]
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]
1. “Why do upatakhs do things for their ajahns that the ajahns can do better themselves?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Upatakh] [Monastic life] // [Self-identity view] [Generosity] [Relinquishment] [Culture/Thailand] [Culture/West]
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. “How do we perceive which ruts we are stuck in and which tools to use to get out of them? Are there tools besides dhutaṅgas to use when we’re stuck in strong habits?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Delusion] [Craving] [Monastic life] [Ascetic practices] // [Ajahn Pasanno] [Faith] [Three Refuges] [Self-identity view]
5. “How do we use sutta study in our practice and what are the pitfalls?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Sutta ] [Views] [Learning ] // [Dhamma online] [Non-contention] [Self-identity view] [Culture/India] [Relinquishment]
Sutta: MN 18: Madhupiṇḍika Sutta.
13. “Can you talk about evolution and growth in regards to the precepts as opposed to just following rules?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Five Precepts] [Precepts] [Attachment to precepts and practices] // [Pāli] [Etymology] [Learning] [Suffering] [Doubt] [Self-identity view]
5. “Could you please address judgement and discernment?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Judgementalism] [Discernment ] // [Self-identity view] [Skillful qualities] [Four Noble Truths] [Culture/West] [Impermanence] [Conditionality]
7. “How do discoveries about the gut microbiome fit in with the Buddha’s teachings?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Science] [Dhamma] // [Not-self] [Self-identity view] [Mindfulness of body] [Clear comprehension] [Naturalness]
Follow-up: “How does the relate to monks who subsist on almsfood and sometimes don’t get enough, considering that the gut is controlling the brain?” [Monastic life] [Almsfood] [Health] [Ajahn Soṇa] [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support]
Sutta: MN 17: Vanapattha Sutta.
17. “The Buddha had the talent of knowing precisely what to say to a person at a given moment. The teaching ajahns have developed this as well, but I’ve never heard of it as part of the training. Can you reflect on that?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Teaching Dhamma] [Buddha/Biography] [Monastic teachers] // [Personality] [Discernment] [Idealism] [Ajahn Chah] [Suffering] [Humility] [Relinquishment] [Fear] [Self-identity view]
18. “Before we relinquish the self, there needs to be a recognition of what’s going on. I often realize this minutes or hours later. Any suggestions for this initial step of noticing?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Relinquishment] [Self-identity view] [Mindfulness] // [Investigation of states] [Mindfulness of feeling] [Cessation] [Spaciousness]
1. “In Canada, medical assistance in death is legal. As an old person who will be sick and dying not too far off, it raises the question: If I got to the point where I felt even with good palliative and hospice care, I couldn’t withstand the pain any longer, it’s an option. But what about the first precept of not taking life?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Sickness] [Pain] [Death] [Health care ] [Euthanasia] [Killing] // [Relinquishment] [Self-identity view] [Idealism]
Quote: “Being present for the falling apart of the body opens doorways to release that don’t really happen with, ‘I just want to be done with this. This totally sucks.’” [Present moment awareness] [Mindfulness of body] [Release] [Aversion] [Fear] [Clinging] [Saṃsāra] [Self-identity view]
2. “For some people, death comes with extreme pain. Part of being able to navigate through the dissolution of self requires clarity of mind. My understanding is that a lot of pain management involves morphine or other mind-numbing drugs. How does one navigate the pain?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Death] [Pain] [Relinquishment] [Self-identity view] [Clear comprehension] [Health care] [Intoxicants] // [Fear]
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 not 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]
3. “The pandemic has given rise to feelings of profound grief and loss in many of us. How can we best work with these emotions to cultivate well-being for ourselves and others?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Pandemic] [Grief] [Emotion] [Happiness] [Community] // [Self-identity view] [Clinging] [Commerce/economics] [Perception]
8. “You mentioned that ruminating on how one would like to change the world or the conditions around oneself can be a source of needless suffering. But there are times when one does want to work to change the world or the way society is organized for the sake of lovingkindness and alleviating suffering. How do we engage with those desire for change in a skillful way?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Politics and society] [Suffering] [Desire] [Goodwill] [Compassion] [Skillful qualities] [Activism] // [Conditionality] [Self-identity view] [Conflict] [Poverty] [Judgementalism] [Aversion] [Culture/Thailand] [Environment] [Idealism]
Quote: “If one is going to commit oneself to change, one has to get used to looking at things from a big perspective, a perspective of ‘How do we include rather than exclude?’” [Community]
Quote: “You want to approach a particular problem with an open a mind as possible and then see who might be willing and able to help.”
3. “If you get the mind empty, you get everything.’ How to understand this?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Emptiness] // [Self-identity view]
12. “What is the difference between emptiness, nothingness, and space? How can I use colors to develop the mind?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Emptiness] [Kasiṇa] // [Self-identity view] [Relinquishment] [Conceit] [Middle Path] [Etymology] [Not-self] [Elements] [Tranquility] [History/Early Buddhism] [Culture/West]
5. “In regard to compassion practice, I feel as if I have refined the awareness of myself and how my actions impact others. Also, my sensitivity has increased. If I feel that I have said or done something that caused someone hurt, I immediately attempt to clean it up. At the same time, I feel great pain for having been unskillful. Please advise on how to refine my understanding so that I suffer less for this.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Compassion] [Conscience and prudence] [Suffering] // [Self-identity view] [Respect] [Guilt/shame/inadequacy] [Skillful qualities]
1. “Sometimes in meditation, it feels like I’m moving in waves even though my body is still. What does it mean? What should I do when it happens?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Meditation/Unusual experiences] // [Self-identity view] [Mindfulness of feeling] [Right Mindfulness] [Four Noble Truths] [Liberation] [Mindfulness of body] [Mindfulness of dhammas] [Factors of Awakening]
Sutta: MN 10.4: Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta.
6. “Are there any mindful techniques that can be used during the transition from the old self to the new high vibrational self?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Mindfulness] [Self-identity view] // [Suffering] [Becoming] [Relinquishment]
11. “What could I to to help myself fear death less?” Answered by Ajahn Ñāṇiko and Ajahn Pasanno. [Fear ] [Death] // [Virtue] [Restlessness and worry] [Truth] [Stream entry] [Impermanence] [Recollection/Death] [Present moment awareness] [Recollection/Virtue] [Self-identity view]
1. “How do you avoid falling in the trap of caring about something/someone too much and becoming attached to that something/someone?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Compassion] [Clinging] // [Suffering] [Equanimity] [Goodwill] [Generosity] [Bases of Success] [Desire] [Self-identity view] [Craving] [Cessation of Suffering]
2. “How do we overcome regret and remorse associated with not being able to do good or meet our loved ones at the time of passing away?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Restlessness and worry] [Merit] [Death] [Pandemic] [Grief] // [Goodwill] [Self-identity view] [Discernment] [Determination]
6. “A question about Dogenji’s teaching: ‘To study the Buddha Way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be actualized by myriad things. When actualized by myriad things your body and mind as well as the bodies and minds of others drop away. No trace of enlightenment remains, and this no trace continues endlessly.’ Can you reflect on this teaching from the Theravāda Thai Forest Teachings?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Dōgen] [Zen ] [Eightfold Path] [Not-self] [Liberation] [Theravāda] [Thai Forest Tradition] // [Teaching Dhamma] [Knowledge and vision] [Four Noble Truths] [Self-identity view] [Relinquishment] [Aggregates] [Proliferation] [Discernment] [Compassion]
Quote: “Everything is teaching us. Everything is a manifestation of Dhamma and truth.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Dhamma] [Truth] [Suchness]
14. “Have you ever suffered from some sort of addiction and how did you recover from it? What would be your advice for someone suffering from an addiction?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Addiction] [Suffering] // [Sensual desire] [Self-identity view] [Spiritual friendship] [Three Refuges] [Happiness] [Appropriate attention]
7. “The concepts of non-self and rebirth seem contradictory to me. Can you expand on these topics? What is it that passes from one life to the next if there is no self?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Not-self ] [Rebirth] // [Views] [Tranquility] [Insight meditation] [Aggregates] [Self-identity view] [Disenchantment] [Dispassion] [Unwholesome Roots] [Consciousness] [Proliferation] [Conditionality]
Sutta: DN 15.21 refers to rebirth and consciousness.
3. “During times of intense joy and happiness, I find that joy and happiness itself can trigger worry, fear, or desire to control. From this morning’s teachings, I took that one way to skillfully hold happiness is to share it; another is to express gratitude for it. Do you have any advice on how to hold happiness when it feels almost too big to release into?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Happiness ] [Fear] [Gratitude] // [Self-identity view] [Compassion] [Discernment] [Right Speech] [Admonishment/feedback] [Humility]
Sutta: AN 2.126: Two conditions for the arising of Right View. [Right View] [Spiritual friendship] [Appropriate attention]
Quote: “What is the essence of the Buddha’s teachings? You are not what you think.” [Not-self] [Proliferation]
4. “Am I what I feel? We have a lot of feelings as humans, and then a lot more feelings have come up since COVID. There’s a lot of depression, hurt feelings, regret, death, end of relation and of income, end of status. A lot of us want to know how to work with this or even change these really hard emotional states.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Emotion] [Human] [Self-identity view] [Pandemic] [Grief] // [Suffering] [Spiritual friendship] [Compassion]
Recollection: “Sometimes Ajahn Chah would consciously make things difficult for us....He’s always pointing back to the heart.” [Ajahn Chah] [Fierce/direct teaching] [Heart/mind]
5. “Is physical sexual desire the same as the desire for food and water? Or should it be avoided?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Sensual desire ] // [Monastic life] [Human] [Self-identity view] [Sexual misconduct] [Food] [Sense restraint] [Relationships] [Trust] [Five Precepts]
Sutta: AN 8.39: The five great gifts.
5. “How does one know the difference between appropriate grieving and honoring the memory of a beloved versus clinging and attachment?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Grief ] [Clinging] // [Cause of Suffering] [Self-identity view] [Spiritual urgency]
Recollection: Grieving for Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Recollection/Saṅgha]
Quote: “It’s that personalization of experience that gets us into trouble over and over again in different ways.” [Self-identity view] [Suffering]
6. “Could you give a Dhamma talk about the Five Aggregates?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Aggregates] // [Cause of Suffering] [Form] [Feeling] [Perception] [Volitional formations] [Consciousness]
Simile: A dog tied to a post (SN 22.100). [Similes] [Self-identity view]
5. “I have had many losses over the year, and both my parents passed away six years ago. I found that taking refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma, and Saṅgha, keeping the precepts, and having daily meditation practice helps. There is peacefulness and gratitude. I have heard that if one wants to share merits with the deceased, one could. What is the proper way? Could you give some guidance?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Death] [Grief] [Parents] [Merit ] // [Recollection/Virtue] [Goodwill] [Translation] [Three Refuges] [Precepts] [Generosity] [Happiness]
Sutta: Iti 22: “Do not be afraid of puñña.”
Quote: “Puñña is accomplished through the heart itself.” [Heart/mind] [Cultural context]
Quote: “A spark of merit is worth more than a mountain of effort.” — Tibetan saying. [Vajrayāna] [Self-identity view]
8. “Can you offer practical advice for working with hindrances and cultivating sīla without taking it personally, that is, trying to perfect the personality?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Hindrances] [Virtue] [Self-identity view] // [Dhamma] [Relinquishment]
Quote: “Kae nun lae (Thai) – It’s just this much.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Suchness]
3. “Does the concept of refuge in Buddhism contain an element of grace?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Three Refuges ] [Theravāda] [Hinduism] // [Relinquishment] [Knowing itself] [Truth]
Quote: “Did you come here to die?” — Ajahn Chah’s greeting to newcomers.. [Ajahn Chah] [Death] [Liberation] [Self-identity view]
Quote: “If you really understood refuge in Buddha, Dhamma, and Saṅgha, there wouldn’t be a time when you bowed without bursting into tears of gratitude and devotion.” [Bowing ] [Gratitude] [Ajahn Jayasaro]
2. Comment: When I hear “renunciation,” I have the feeling that I’m losing something. [Renunciation ]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Simplicity] [Self-identity view]
Quote: “What renunciation gives is inexhaustible strength of simplicity.” — Martin Heidegger.
2. “Is the desire to become fearless a cause of suffering? Is wearing a different kind of clothes also I-making?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Desire] [Fear] [Cause of Suffering] [Attachment to precepts and practices] [Self-identity view] // [Craving] [Unwholesome Roots] [Naturalness] [Discernment] [Suffering] [Liberation]
3. “Why don’t we concentrate not so much on personal liberation, but think more about our practice? What are your thoughts about the Bodhisattva ideal, thinking of others all the time rather than achievement or personal liberation?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Liberation] [Bodhisattva] [Compassion] [Nibbāna]
Quote: “Thinking of yourself is isolating. Thinking of others is proliferating....Suffering is an experience rather than a conceptualization.” [Self-identity view] [Proliferation] [Suffering]
Quote: “Don’t be an arhant. Don’t be a Bodhisattva. Don’t be anything at all. As long as you’re anything or anybody, you are going to suffer. And as long as you’re suffering, you’re going to be sharing that out with everyone else as well.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Arahant] [Self-identity view]
4. “Is the practice of jhāna necessary for attaining Nibbāna?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Jhāna ] [Nibbāna] // [Self-identity view] [Greed] [Relinquishment]
9. “I’m struggling with the concept of unshakiness, as “I” am falling into the trap of envisioning an unshakeable self. How can letting go be allowed without an I that lets go?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Equanimity] [Self-identity view] [Relinquishment] // [Knowing itself] [Human] [Ajahn Chah] [Three Refuges]
4. Quote: “Mindfulness is the graveyard of all things.” — Ajahn Chah. Quoted by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Mindfulness] [Cessation] // [Self-identity view] [Proliferation] [Compassion]
6. Ajahn Chah’s letter to Ajahn Sumedho: “Whenever you have feelings of love or hate for anything whatsoever, these will be your aides and partners in buliding pārami. The Buddha Dhamma is not to be found in moving forwards, nor in moving backwards, nor in standing still. This, Sumedho, is your place of non-abiding.” [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Sumedho] [Feeling] [Perfections] [Dhamma] [Emptiness] // [Self-identity view ] [Knowing itself]
Quote: “As long as we’re willing to be a somebody, we’ve got to be willing to suffer. We volunteered.” [Self-identity view ] [Suffering]