2. “All Dhammas are not to be clung to.” Reflection by Ajahn Pasanno. [Clinging] [Relinquishment] // [Cessation] [Meditation/Techniques] [Right View] [Upasikā Kee Nanayon] [Suffering]
Sutta: MN 37 Cūḷataṇhāsaṅkhaya Sutta
5. “In my desire to get to the “heart of it” I find part of my mind really wants this, but another part of my mind is not going along with the program. How do I keep myself on the Path?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Jotipālo. [Desire] [Simplicity] [Volition] // [Suffering] [Cessation of Suffering] [Impermanence] [Cessation] [Upasikā Kee Nanayon]
Follow-up: “The experience of arising and disbanding isn’t yet practical for me. I need something more operational.” [Tranquility]
Simile: Making a fire flare up or die down (SN 46.53). — Ajahn Pasanno. [Factors of Awakening] [Energy] [Mindfulness]
1. Devotional practice and the context and history of the Thai Forest Tradition. [Devotional practice] [Culture/Thailand] [Types of monks] [Thai Forest Tradition] // [Vinaya]
2. The current popularity of the Thai Forest Tradition can be attributed to Ajahn Mun. [Ajahn Mun] [Teaching Dhamma] [Thai Forest Tradition] // [Tudong] [Ajahn Chah] [Spiritual search] [Culture/Thailand]
3. Being able to recognize the difference between the mind itself and the moods or objects of the mind. [Knowing itself] [Moods of the mind ] [Thai Forest Tradition] // [Heart/mind]
20. The values of the Thai Forest Tradition. [Thai Forest Tradition ] // [Knowing itself] [Mindfulness] [Recollection/Buddha] [Four Noble Truths] [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Tate] [Ajahn Mun] [Heart/mind] [Three Refuges]
Quote: “Pay attention to the difference between the mind and the objects of mind.” — Ajahn Mun. [Nature of mind] [Moods of the mind] [Discernment]
12. “You mentioned ‘inner confidence…‘ can you describe it in more detail and the ways to cultivate it? Respectfully.” [Self-reliance] [Faith] // [Recollection/Buddha] [Human] [Recollection/Saṅgha ]
Sutta: MN 19: Two Kinds of Thought
Reflection: Ajahn Khao was a real human being. [Ajahn Khao] [Family] [Wat Pah Pong] [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Sumedho]
[Session] Dhamma talk: After the Abhayagiri community begins the retreat with the ceremony of taking dependence, Ajahn Pasanno explains the meaning of dependence, the importance of mindfulness, and how mindfulness connects with the eightfold path. He explains how to look after both oneself and others with mindfulness using the Simile of the Acrobat (SN 47.19). [Ceremony/ritual] [Dependence] [Mindfulness] [Right Mindfulness] [Eightfold Path]
[Session] Dhamma talk: Ajahn Pasanno reflects upon the question: “What kind of effort do we need to conform with what the Buddha means by mindfulness?” He answers in terms of the four aspects of right effort, the seven qualities of Dhamma the Buddha taught to Upali (AN 7.79), and the Buddha’s description of how he crossed the flood (SN 1.1). [Right Effort] [Mindfulness] [Dhamma]
[Session] Dhamma talk: The commentary explains sampajañña (clear comprehension / alertness) as clear comprehension of purpose, suitability, domain, and non-delusion. Ajahn Pasanno describes how each of these factors relate to the practice of mindfulness. [Clear comprehension] [Mindfulness]
[Session] Dhamma talk: Cautioning against trusting our assumptions about the nature of mindfulness, Ajahn Pasanno reviews several key passages in the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta (MN 10). [Ardency] [Clear comprehension] [Mindfulness] [Right Mindfulness]
2. Outline of AN 4.41 Samādhibhāvanā: Four types of concentration. [Concentration] [Right Mindfulness] // [Psychic powers] [Mindfulness] [Clear comprehension] [Liberation] [Outflows] [Perception of light] [Impermanence] [Aggregates]
Comment about the difference between the third and fourth developments of concentration. [Conditionality]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Self-identity view]
2. Commentary on AN 9.36, “Jhāna.” [Jhāna] [Formless attainments] [Characteristics of existence] [Aggregates] [Liberation] [Deathless] [Progress of insight] [Relinquishment] [Nibbāna]
2. Reflections on the value of samaṇas in Indian culture. [Culture/India ] [Perception of a samaṇa ] // [Commentaries] [Buddha] [Virtue] [Truth] [Hospitality]
Recollection: Ajahn Pasanno was really cared for during his tudong in Northern India. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Tudong] [Not handling money]
1. Commentary on the Cankī Sutta (MN 95). [Views] [Right Effort] [Truth]
3. “Are any of the lists in this sutta (MN 95) explained in other suttas?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Sutta] // [Bhikkhu Bodhi]
Reference: P.A. Payutto’s Dictionary of Numerical Dhammas (in Thai). [P. A. Payutto] [Tipiṭaka] [Pāli]
Explanation of volume and page numbers in the Pāli Tipitaka.
Comment by Debbie Stamp: Similar listings often refer to the gradual training. [Gradual Teaching]
Sutta: MN 107: Gaṇakamoggallāna Sutta.
Sutta: MN 47: Vīmaṃsaka Sutta.
1. Commentary on MN 121: The Lesser Discourse on Emptiness. [Emptiness] [Relinquishment] [Theravāda] [Not-self]
1. Explanation of sāmisa and nirāmisa. [Feeling] [Pāli] // [Translation]
2. Translation of phassapaññattiṃ paññāpessatīti (manifestation, delineation). Teaching by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo, Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Kaccāna. [Pāli] [Translation] [Proliferation] [Perception] // [Bhikkhu Bodhi] [Commentaries] [Ajahn Ṭhānissaro]
6. “What is the difference between piti and sukha? Also equanimity and emptiness as a felt sense?” [Rapture ] [Happiness ] [Equanimity] [Emptiness ] // [Self-identity view] [Theravāda] [Relinquishment]
The difference between pīti and sukha. [Rapture ] [Happiness ] [Emotion]
Commentary: Path of Purification by Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli, p. 139: Similes for pīti and sukha. [Similes] [Rapture ] [Happiness ]
1. “What are the consequences of breaking a precept?” [Precepts ] // [Pāli] [Learning] [Volition] [Ajahn Chah]
The root of hiri and otappa. [Conscience and prudence ] [Translation] [Truth] [Kamma] [Respect]
5. “Competitiveness feels so pervasive here in America. What are your thoughts for working with it or healing it?” [Competitiveness ] [Culture/West] // [Suffering] [Self-identity view] [Relinquishment] [History/America] [Proliferation]
Reflection: The nine bases of conceit. [Conceit]
18. “I often feel overwhelmed with the greed, hatred, ill-will, and delusion that the corporate world exerts over the masses to the benefit of only themselves and that is destroying the planet’s ability to renew itself. Could you speak about Buddhist involvement in social change movements?” [Politics and society] [Activism] [Unwholesome Roots] [Commerce/economics] [Selfishness] [Environment] // [Truth] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Non-profit organizations]
Ajahn Pasanno reflects on the results of his efforts to preserve forests in Thailand. [Geography/Thailand] [Learning] [Greed] [Corruption]
Quote: “Can I set an example myself and can I help encourage other people who are interested?”
3. Discussion about the importance of spiritual friendship. [Spiritual friendship] [Renunciation] [Happiness]
Reference: Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 46: The Highest Blessings (Maṅgala Sutta, Snp 2.4).
Ajahn Pasanno reflects on his intention in coming to America. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Culture/West] [Perception of a samaṇa] [Abhayagiri]
3. Reflections by Ajahn Kaccāna and Ajahn Pasanno about Ajahn Sumedho and Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Sumedho] [Ajahn Chah] // [Habits] [Seclusion] [Monastic life/Motivation]
Story: Ajahn Sumedho becomes so fed up living with Westerners at Tam Seang Pet that he leaves. Told by Ajahn Pasanno. [Wat Tam Saeng Pet] [Western Ajahn Chah lineage] [Tudong]
Description of Wat Tam Saeng Pet. [Culture/Natural environment]
6. “Please talk about fixed views and the nine conceits.” [Views ] [Conceit ] // [Pāli] [Proliferation ] [Craving] [Self-identity view] [Cessation of Suffering] [Competitiveness] [Culture/West]
Teaching: The three papañcadhammas.
6. “Today there was a lot of rapturous energy during the sits. It started to get to be too much. How do I work with this? Do I let it take its course or do I try to ground it down?” [Rapture] // [Restlessness and worry] [Mindfulness of body] [Happiness]
Simile: A traveller through a desert learns of an oasis (pīti) then drinks and bathes at the oasis (sukha) (Path of Purification by Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli, p. 139). [Similes]
2. Teaching: The Buddha symbolizes wisdom, compassion and purity in balance. [Buddha] [Discernment] [Compassion] [Virtue]
4. Reflection: Buddha images show the eyes open because Buddha literally means “awake.” [Buddha images] [Buddha]
8. Reflection: In Theravāda culture, the Buddha is always a human being. [Buddha ] [Human] [Theravāda] // [Mahāyāna]
9. Reflections on AN 3.136: “Whether a Buddha appears in the world or not....” [Characteristics of existence] [Buddha] // [Truth]
Quote: “Whether you’ve got a well or don’t have a well, there’s water in the ground.” [Ajahn Chah] [Similes]
10. The story of the Bodhisattva seeing the old person, the sick person, and the dead person isn’t in the scriptures. [Buddha/Biography ] [Tipiṭaka] [Stories] // [Jātaka Tales] [Postulants]
Sutta: DN 14.2 ascribes this story to the previous Buddha Vipassī. [Previous Buddhas]
Sutta: Snp 3.1 describes the Bodhisattva’s going forth.
11. The time of the Buddha was a time of great change. [Buddha/Biography] [History/Early Buddhism] // [Saṅgha decision making] [Spiritual traditions] [Views]
Sutta: DN 1: Brahmajāla Sutta.
Sutta: Snp 3.1: King Bimbisāra meets the Bodhisattva.
2. Reflection: Bowing to the Buddha is bowing to the qualities the Buddha manifested and recollecting those qualities in ourselves. [Bowing ] [Buddha images ] [Recollection/Buddha] [Recollection/Virtue]
2. Reflection: 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]
3. Reflection: The aspects of pūjā or devotion are an opportunity to nourish the roots of our practice. [Devotional practice ] [Pūjā] // [Sloth and torpor] [Energy]
5. Teaching: The Buddha’s first exclamation after his enlightenment evokes the sense of being free from saṃsāra. [Buddha/Biography] [Saṃsāra ] [Liberation] // [Proliferation] [Cessation] [Craving]
Sutta: Dhp 153-154 (Chanting Book translation).
6. Reflection: When one holds to that which is true, it has a transformative quality. [Truth ] // [Three Refuges] [Protective chants]
Reference: Sacca-kiriyā-gāthā, Bhikkhu Manual, p. 95.
7. Teaching: The paramī are bright qualities that carry one across from confusion to peace. [Perfections ] [Etymology] // [Theravāda] [Mahāyāna] [Chanting] [History/Early Buddhism] [Buddha] [Liberation]
8. Teaching: There is no difference between the mind of enlightenment of a Buddha and anyone else who experiences awakening. [Buddha] [Arahant ] [Liberation] // [Perfections] [Personality]
9. Reflections on the personalities of the great disciples. [Great disciples ] [Personality] // [Mindfulness] [Memory] [Buddha/Biography] [Perfections]
10. A detailed description of the paramī as qualities that can transform ourselves and others. [Perfections ] // [Generosity] [Virtue] [Culture/West] [Renunciation] [Discernment] [Energy] [Right Effort] [Patience] [Ajahn Chah] [Truth] [Determination] [Goodwill] [Equanimity]
Story: Master Hsu Yun and the bandits. [Master Hsu Yun] [Stealing] [Bowing] [Tudong]
Sutta: SN 56.11.11: The Dhamma Eye: “All that has the nature to arise....”
11. Teaching: Mindfulness of breathing is the practice that the Buddha recommended most. [Mindfulness of breathing] [Buddha/Biography]
Sutta: SN 54.11: The Buddha practices mindfulness of breathing while on retreat. [Meditation retreats]
12. Ajahn Pasanno encourages the recipients of the small Buddha images to chant and do ceremonies so that the images gain power to invoke wholesome qualities from the heart. [Buddha images] [Pūjā] [Skillful qualities] [Buddha]
4. Reflection: The common root of renunciation and compassion is the relationship to suffering. [Renunciation] [Compassion] [Suffering]
Reading: “The Balanced Way” by Bhikkhu Bodhi on accesstoinsight.org.
1. Reflections on the origins of Ajahn Chah and his teachings. [Culture/Thailand] [Geography/Thailand] [Ajahn Chah] // [Thai Forest Tradition] [Poverty] [Human]
3. Reflection: Establishing relations with family and friends in Dhamma. [Family] [Spiritual friendship] [Dhamma] [Ajahn Chah]
Recollection: Ajahn Chah would sometimes allow Westerners to ordain without their parent’s permission. [Ordination] [Parents] [History/Western Buddhist monasticism]
1. “Do you find labelling helpful?” [Noting] [Ajahn Pasanno] // [Proliferation]
Simile: The hammer looking for nails everywhere.
12. “Could you talk about the difference between experiencing an unpleasant feeling and perpetuating an unpleasant feeling?” [Feeling ] [Discernment] [Cessation of Suffering] // [Compassion] [Mindfulness] [Patience] [Suffering]
Simile: Two arrows (SN 36.6).
3. “My natural tendency is to push the world away and to have the attitude that enjoyment is wrong. I’m working on trying to enjoy life. Do you have any ideas about this?” [Craving not to become] [Christianity] [Hinduism] [Ascetic practices] [Happiness] [Skillful qualities] // [Monastic life] [Ajahn Sucitto] [Guilt/shame/inadequacy] [Culture/West]
The Rule of St. Benedict and Ajahn Sucitto’s talk “Fellow Worms.” [Humility]
Story: A BBC interviewer asks King Rama IX about original sin. [Media] [King Rama IX] [Culture/Thailand] [Nature of mind]
Causal processes leading to sāmadhi and dispassion have different starting points, but they all go through delight and happiness. [Conditionality] [Concentration] [Dispassion]
Quote: “Monks, do not be afraid of puñña.” — Iti 22. [Merit] [Fear] [Liberation]
Quote: “The happy mind is easily concentrated.”
7. Reflection: Abhayagiri: a place of safety. [Fear] [Abhayagiri] // [Pāli] [Realms of existence] [Culture/West] [Competitiveness] [Abuse/violence]
9. Reflection: Our warm relationship with the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. [City of Ten Thousand Buddhas ] [Communal harmony] [Abhayagiri] // [Master Hsuan Hua] [Ajahn Sumedho] [Non-contention]
Story: Ajahn Sumedho is invited to teach from Master Hua’s Dhamma seat. [Teaching Dhamma]
Recollection: The first days of Wat Pah Nanachat. [Wat Pah Nanachat] [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Pasanno]
11. Reflection: Ajahn Sumedho was a catalyst for Abhayagiri to happen. [Ajahn Sumedho ] [Abhayagiri] // [Western Ajahn Chah lineage] [Elders' Council]
Quote: “You should appreciate all that Ajahn Sumedho has done. He’s been the tank that has prepared the way for all the rest of you.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Respect for elders] [Similes]
Comment by Ajahn Ñāṇiko: Ajahn Sumedho is the most senior American bhikkhu in the world.
13. Reflection: Ajahn Chah is the inspiration for all of us. [Ajahn Chah] [Faith] // [Respect for elders] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Knowing itself] [Teaching Dhamma] [Simplicity]
Quote: “If buffaloes can learn, surely these farangs [foreigners] can learn.” — Ajahn Chah. [Western Ajahn Chah lineage]
1. “Is misery the absence of happiness?” [Suffering] [Happiness] // [Language] [Conditionality] [Pāli]
Derivation of dukkha: du = not good or not comfortable; kha = where the axle goes into the wheel.
Story: Driving a car with frozen wheels is dukkha. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Similes]
6. “Is there a right speed to silent walking?” [Posture/Walking] // [Abhayagiri] [Postures] [Continuity of mindfulness]
Story: Jack Kornfield asks Ajahn Chah, “Whenever you teach walking meditation, you always teach the monks to walk slowly. But whenever you walk meditation, you walk really fast. [Ajahn Chah] [Jack Kornfield] [Teaching Dhamma] [Exercise]
Translations of sampajañña (clear comprehension) and its role in Dhamma practice. [Clear comprehension ] [Translation] [Mindfulness]
2. “In the Ānāpānasati Sutta there are many steps. Is there space in these to investigate the causes and conditions for greed, anger, and delusion?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Investigation of states] [Conditionality] [Unwholesome Roots] [Mindfulness of breathing] // [Mindfulness of mind] [Heart/mind] [Calming meditation] [Hindrances] [Mindfulness of dhammas] [Impermanence]
Reflection by Ajahn Pasanno: Mindfulness of breathing is not a linear process. You have to work with what’s actually helpful.
6. “Could you give a Dhamma talk about the Five Aggregates?” [Aggregates] // [Cause of Suffering] [Body/form] [Feeling] [Perception] [Volitional formations] [Consciousness]
Simile: A dog tied to a post (SN 22.100). [Similes] [Self-identity view]
3. “Have you ever regretted choosing the monastic life? Has your mother ever thought you made a wrong choice?” [Ajahn Pasanno] [Monastic life/Motivation] [Doubt] [Parents] // [Gratitude] [Retirement] [Energy] [Mentoring] [Christianity] [Abhayagiri]
Reflections on leadership. [Leadership ] [Ajahn Chah] [Abbot] [Wat Pah Nanachat] [Discernment]
Quote: “You can’t lead just by telling people what to do and they are going to obey. Forget it!” [Leadership ]
Quote: “Everybody else is a mirror for oneself if one is willing to learn in teaching or leading others.” [Leadership ] [Learning]
4. “Krishnamurti spoke of ‘effortless effort.’ Can you make sense of this?” [Krishnamurti] [Right Effort]
Reflection: Samma means right in tune. [Pāli] [Eightfold Path]
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?” [Suffering] [Pāli] [Equanimity] [Dhamma] [Translation] [Advaita Vedanta] // [Thai] [Human] [Aggregates] [Clinging ] [Knowing itself] [Relinquishment]
Ancient etymology of dukkha: du = bad, unwanted, unpleasant, uncomfortable, not easy; kha = where the axle fits into the wheel. [Language] [History/Indian Buddhism]
Sutta: SN 56.11: Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (Chanting Book translation)
Teaching: The four forms of clinging. [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]
1. Reflections on 28 years. [Community] [Monasteries] [Abhayagiri] // [Saṅghapāla] [Lay supporters] [Ajahn Karuṇadhammo] [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support]
Reflection: It’s the community and the people that really creates the monastery.
2. Reflection: The early days of Abhayagiri were simple and basic. [Requisites] [Abhayagiri] // [Lay supporters] [Building projects] [Generosity] [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support]
Quote: “It was like a Buddhist trailer park.” [Lodging]
1. Reflection: There is no such thing as the Ajahn Chah method of meditation. [Meditation/Techniques] [Ajahn Chah] // [Teaching Dhamma] [Self-reliance]
3. Ajahn Chah emphasized the importance of sīla during his second trip to the West. [Culture/West] [Virtue] [Ajahn Chah] // [Communal harmony]
Quote: “Teaching Buddhism without sīla is like sending someone out in the open sea in a leaky boat.” — Ajahn Chah. [Similes]
Simile: A millipede’s many legs all work together in harmony.
4. The precepts are foundations for training ourselves in body, speech, and mind. [Precepts] [Learning]
7. Reflection for approaching difficulties: “What am I hanging on to here?” [Clinging] [Relinquishment]
9. Reflection: Relinquishment is the doorway to unshakeability. [Equanimity] [Relinquishment] // [Fear]
5. “How do we distinguish the nuances of happiness and suffering?” [Happiness] [Suffering] // [Language]
Reflection: Any language is always a problem.
Quote: “The language of Dhamma is the language of feeling.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Dhamma] [Feeling]
7. Recollecting the peace of Nibbāna. [Recollection/Peace] [Nibbāna] // [Cessation] [Dispassion] [Pāli] [Tranquility]
Reading: The Island by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro, p. 225.
Suttas: AN 10.60.10; AN 1.494.
1. Teaching: Confidence or belief in the law of kamma is the foundation of mundane Right View. [Faith] [Kamma] [Right View] // [Rebirth ]
Sutta: MN 117.7.
Follow-up: “Would you say [mundane Right View] includes rebirth?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno, Ajahn Karuṇadhammo and Ajahn Kaccāna. [Views] [Conditionality] [Spiritual traditions] [Ordination]
Sutta: MN 60: Apaṇṇaka Sutta.
2. Teaching: How the Buddha defines Right Intention. [Right Intention] // [Eightfold Path]
Sutta: MN 117.10.
8. The meaning of chanda (desire). [Desire ] [Translation] // [Bases of Success] [Craving] [Skillful qualities] [Unskillful qualities] [Sensual desire]
1. Teaching: The satipaṭṭhāna insight formula is a pointer to atammayatā. [Right Mindfulness] [Insight meditation] [Non-identification] // [Ajahn Buddhadāsa] [Translation]
Sutta: MN 10.37: “Or else mindfulness that ‘there are mind objects’ is simply established in him to the extent necessary for bare knowledge and awareness. And he abides independent, not clinging to anything in the world.
Quote: “You don’t have to go and study every tree in the forest.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Similes]
Reference: Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening by Joseph Goldstein (commercial).
Follow-up: “Do you think that the not-self perception is the precursor to the experience of atammayatā?” [Not-self] [Relinquishment]
7. Teaching: The four bases of clinging are a theme for investigation. [Clinging] [Discernment] [Relinquishment] // [Sensual desire] [Views] [Attachment to precepts and practices] [Doctrine-of-self clinging] [Not-self]
Sutta: Dhp 160: “Attā hi attano nātho” – “The self is the refuge of the self.”
1. Reflection: The contrast between the vipassanūpakkilesa (defilements of insight) and the vipassanāñāṇa (insight knowledges). [Insight meditation] [Unwholesome Roots] [Knowledge and vision] // [Perception of light] [Characteristics of existence]
5. Ajahn Pasanno translates and reflects upon, “Etaṁ santaṁ etaṁ paṇītaṁ...” as found in AN 10.6. [Recollection/Peace] // [Ajahn Pasanno]
1. Teaching from the commentaries: Only the Buddha overcomes all personality tendencies. Contributed by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro. [Buddha] [Personality] [Commentaries] // [Arahant] [Great disciples]
4. “Are mindfulness of mind and contemplating a subject such as impermanence two different approaches?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro and Ajahn Pasanno. [Mindfulness of mind] [Recollection] // [Ajahn Chah] [Language] [Directed thought and evaluation] [Appropriate attention] [Lawfulness]
Reference: “What is Contemplation?”, Collected Teachings of Ajahn Chah, pp. 475-479.
Quote: “Your best contemplation is quite thoughtless.” — Ajahn Pasanno. [Tranquility]
Reflection by Ajahn Pasanno: Yoniso manasikāra is a way of paying attention to the process of experience. [Pāli] [Characteristics of existence]
1. Reflection: Ajahn Chah inspired people to be willing to commit to practice and training. [Monastic life/Motivation] [Determination] [Ajahn Chah] // [Ajahn Pasanno] [Fourfold Assembly] [Relinquishment]
8. Reflection: Amaravati and other monasteries are offshoots of Ajahn Chah’s gift of monastic training where people can continue to practice. [Monastic life] [Ajahn Chah monasteries] [Ajahn Chah]
10. Reflection: Ajahn Chah used the Vinaya rules as a basis to train in mindfulness and clear comprehension. [Vinaya] [Mindfulness] [Clear comprehension] [Ajahn Chah] // [Volition] [Perception of a samaṇa] [Protocols ] [Sense restraint] [Beauty] [Faith]
Story: Ajahn Chah demonstrates how to put down a yahm (monk’s shoulder bag). [Requisites] [Ajahn Sumedho]
Vinaya: Mahāvagga 1.23: Sariputta gains faith from Venerable Assiji’s demeanor. [Great disciples]
11. Reflection on Ajahn Chah’s ability to illustrate Dhamma. [Teaching Dhamma] [Similes] [Ajahn Chah]
Simile: Suffering is like continually tightening a bolt. [Suffering]
12. Reflection: Ajahn Chah’s compassion and empathy. [Compassion] [Ajahn Chah]
Quote: “I’ve been like that.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Munindo] [Suffering]
14. Reflection: His leadership and his teaching came from his example. [Leadership] [Teaching Dhamma] [Ajahn Chah] // [Lunar observance days] [Devotion to wakefulness]
Recollection: Ajahn Chah sits until midnight despite having malaria. [Sickness] [Posture/Sitting] [Sitter's practice]
2. Reflection: The sign of spiritual maturity is the inclination to disenchantment and relinquishment. [Meditation/Results] [Disenchantment] [Relinquishment] [Impermanence] // [Ajahn Chah]
4. The perception of impermanence should be cultivated for the removal of the conceit “I am.” [Conceit] [Impermanence] // [Self-identity view] [Relinquishment] [Nibbāna] [Cessation of Suffering]
Quote: “Being right doesn’t lead one to freedom from suffering. Oftentimes it just makes you a pain in the butt.” [Views]
Sutta: Ud 4.1.21: Meghiya Sutta.
Sutta: AN 10.60.10: “This is peaceful, this is sublime...”
5. Reflection: If you see the steadfastness and orderliness of the Dhamma, of the truth, it can free the heart. [Lawfulness] [Naturalness] [Liberation] [Impermanence] // [Pāli]
7. Reflection: Absorbing the truth, “Even the Sāsana will pass away,” doesn’t lead to a sense of dismay; it leads to wonder and the motivation, “How can I help others?” [Truth ] [Spiritual urgency] [Compassion] [Suffering] [Impermanence] [Characteristics of existence]
Recollection: Ajahn Chah saw so clearly and was incredibly compassionate. [Ajahn Chah] [Fierce/direct teaching]
Quote: “What is the mind of an arahant like?” – “Only compassion.” — Ajahn Mahā Boowa. [Ajahn Mahā Boowa] [Ajahn Mun]
Quote: “Anicca, dukkha, and anattā are tools we rely on for transforming the heart.”
3. “People often say that Amaravati is like an institution. What is a perspective on this?” [Amaravati ] [Saṅgha] [Monastery organizational structure] // [Ajahn Pasanno]
Reflection by Ajahn Pasanno, Ajahn Ahiṃsako and Ajahn Karuṇiko: The benefits and drawbacks of large monasteries. [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support] [Teaching Dhamma] [Christian monastics] [Wat Pah Nanachat] [Spiritual traditions]
7. “Can you offer any reflections about people’s tendency to measure samādhi, concentration, and jhāna and their doubt and discontent about how much is enough to develop insight?” [Calming meditation] [Concentration] [Jhāna] [Insight meditation] // [Craving] [Relinquishment] [Etymology] [Translation] [Right Mindfulness] [Right Effort]
Quote: “Samādhi is a holiday for the heart.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Sumedho]
Simile: Samādhi is like a chicken in a bamboo coop. [Similes] [Spaciousness] [Mindfulness]
Sutta: MN 44.12: The bases of samādhi.
Simile: Unification of mind is like a bowl of fruit. [Unification]
10. “How do we recognize when we’re being taken advantage of when we’re trying to offer compassion? How do we draw a line to maintain our compassion without it impeding?” [Abuse/violence] [Compassion ] // [Discernment] [Ajahn Chah] [Fierce/direct teaching]
Suttas: SN 22.86.13; MN 22.37.
Reflection: The qualities of the Buddha: wisdom, compassion, purity. [Recollection/Buddha ] [Arahant] [Pūjā]
Reference: Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 3: Homage to the Buddha. [Recollection/Buddha ]
Story: A person asks the same question four times. [Questions]
14. “Sometimes we hear that with practice, some qualities change, but other qualities don’t change very much over a long time of practice. When I read certain biographies [of Buddhist teachers], it seems like certain rough qualities can remain even though the mind is pure. How to know the difference in oneself and others?” [Long-term practice] [Personality ] [Teachers] [Fierce/direct teaching] [Unskillful qualities] // [Suffering] [Unwholesome Roots] [Relinquishment] [Hindrances]
Ajahn Pasanno describes the personality of great teachers he has met. [Ajahn Mahā Boowa] [Ajahn Tate] [Ajahn Dune] [Ajahn Chah]
Reflection: The arahant disciples of the Buddha were able to free their minds, but they all had different personalities. [Arahant] [Buddha] [Great disciples ]
Sutta: SN 14.15 Caṅkama Sutta: Monks with different personalities gather around the great disciples.
Note: Ajahn Pasanno mentions the similarly-themed Cūḷagosiṅga Sutta (MN 31) by name, but describes the content of the Caṅkama Sutta.