Similes (opammā)
Teaching Dhamma / Similes
85 excerpts, 6:23:04 total duration

All excerpts (86) Most relevant (48) Questions about (17) Answers involving (44) Stories (6) Quotes (18) Readings (5) Texts (9) References (1)

The Gradual Training, Session 2 – Oct. 20, 2012

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8. “How do we know when to ask for directions on the path as opposed to just continuing farther? What would we ask?” Answered by Ajahn Yatiko. [Questions] [Practicing in accordance with Dhamma] [Gradual Teaching] // [Suffering] [Discernment] [Conditionality] [Faith]

Sutta: SN 12.23: Suffering is the cause of faith.

Follow-up: “What about when things are pleasant, but we’re not headed in the right direction?” [Happiness] [Mindfulness] [Deva] [Relinquishment]

Sutta: MN 75: Simile of the leper. [Similes]

Sutta: SN 56.35: Stream entry after 100 years. [Stream entry] [Four Noble Truths]


Right Livelihood, Session 2 – Apr. 21, 2013

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5. “What is your take on satisfaction, being in tune, and stagnation?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Contentment ] [Energy] [Ardency ] // [Skillful qualities] [Discernment] [Buddha/Biography] [Spiritual search] [Right Effort]

Sutta: AN 2.5: Effort and noncontentment with wholesome states.

Story: The Thai government made it illegal for monks to teach contentment. [History/Thai Buddhism] [Monastic life] [Teaching Dhamma]

Comment about the simile of the lute. [Middle Path] [Similes]

Sutta: AN 6.55: Soṇa Sutta [Similes]


Abhayagiri 2015 Winter Retreat, Session 18 – Jan. 29, 2015

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1. “What are the rewards for the skillful monk?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life] [Skillful qualities] [Right Mindfulness] // [Happiness] [Mindfulness] [Clear comprehension] [Concentration]

Sutta: SN 47.8: Simile of the skillful cook. [Similes] [Similes]

Story: Ajahn Mun criticizes Ajahn Mahā Boowa for developing meditation like a tree stump. [Ajahn Mun] [Ajahn Mahā Boowa] [Admonishment/feedback]


Abhayagiri 2015 Winter Retreat, Session 20 – Jan. 31, 2015

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2. “Does the consistency of vicara correlate with samadhi?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Directed thought and evaluation ] [Concentration] // [Rapture] [Happiness] [Unification]

Sutta: MN 119: Simile of the bathman. [Similes]


Jhāna: A Practical Approach, Session 2 – Oct. 10, 2015

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3. “Sometimes I just notice that the state that is there [a hindrance] is going to go away. Isn’t that a skillful way of looking at it?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Impermanence] [Skillful qualities] [Hindrances] // [Clear comprehension] [Habits]

Sutta: MN 20: The Removal of Distracting Thoughts [Right Effort] [Similes]


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

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16. “The rapture and joy that are being described are not pleasure, right?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Rapture] [Happiness] [Jhāna] // [Pāli]

Commentary: Path of Purification by Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli, p. 139 [Similes]


2015 Thanksgiving Monastic Retreat, Session 1 – Nov. 21, 2015

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6. “What is the difference between piti and sukha? Also equanimity and emptiness as a felt sense?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Rapture ] [Happiness ] [Equanimity] [Emptiness ] // [Self-identity view] [Theravāda] [Relinquishment]

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The difference between pīti and sukha. [Emotion]

Commentary: Path of Purification by Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli, p. 139: Similes for pīti and sukha. [Similes]


2015 Thanksgiving Monastic Retreat, Session 6 – Nov. 26, 2015

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9. “In this afternoon’s talk, Ajahn Karunadhammo mentioned the benefits of the bhava that results from practice or the Eightfold Path, but he described a consciousness that doesn’t land in or on a self and results in freedom. Is that a consciousness that results in neither arising nor non-arising. Could you elaborate? The moment between in and out breaths seems to hold potential for this kind of consciousness.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Eightfold Path] [Becoming] [Unestablished consciousness] [Self-identity view] [Liberation] [Mindfulness of breathing] // [Proliferation] [Consciousness] [Relinquishment] [Fear]

Quote: “You want to pay attention to the experience rather than the idea about it.” [Direct experience]

Suttas: DN 11.85, MN 49.25: Consciousness luminous all around.

Sutta: SN 12.64: Simile of the western wall. [Similes]


Thanksgiving Retreat 2016, Session 6 – Nov. 24, 2016

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3. “How do you apply mindfulness of the body in terms of jhana practice?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Mindfulness of body] [Jhāna ] // [Mindfulness of breathing] [Similes] [Rapture] [Happiness]

Sutta: MN 118 Ānāpānasati Sutta.

Sutta: MN 119.18: Similes for jhāna. [Similes]