“If the Unconditioned is above distinctions of right and wrong, how do you reconcile this with the fact that we live in a moralistic society? If you are not enlightened, how do you live with the truth of the Unconditioned?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro and Ajahn Pasanno. [Unconditioned] [Virtue] // [Conventions] [Dhamma] [Vinaya] [Buddha] [Ven. Ananda Maitreya] [Clinging] [Suffering] [Recollection/Buddha]
Reference: “Still, Flowing Water” in Collected Teachings of Ajahn Chah, p. 373.
Reference: Time & Timelessness by the Amaravati Saṅgha.
Reference: T. S. Elliot, The Dry Salvages.
Vinaya: Mahāvagga 1: The story of the Buddha’s enlightenment.
Reference: Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 4: Recollection of the Buddha: vijjācaraṇa-sampanno.
Readings from The Island [2025], Session 13, Excerpt 2
“On the night of the Buddha’s enlightenment, he used the perception of Dependent Origination to penetrate the truth into the Five Khandhas...?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Buddha/Biography] [Dependent origination]
Vinaya: Mahāvagga 1.1: The Buddha contemplates Dependent Origination under different trees.
Readings from The Island [2025], Session 9, Excerpt 1
Readings from The Island by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro, Chapter 1, pp. 30-35. Read by Ajahn Amaro:
Nyanatiloka Bhikkhu, “Nibbāna,” Buddhist Dictionary, p. 105.
The Mind Like Fire Unbound by Ajahn Ṭhānissaro, p. 2.
Suttas: MN 26.13; SN 38.1; AN 10.60; Ud 3.10; AN 3.55; AN 6.55; SN 43.1-44.
Vinaya: Mahāvagga 1.5 (also occurs at SN 6.1 and MN 26.19).
Readings from The Island [2025], Session 3
Readings by Ajahn Amaro:
The Island by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro, Introduction by Ajahn Sumedho, pp. 16-18.
The Island by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro, Chapter 1, pp. 28-30:
Vinaya: Mahāvagga 1.6.
Readings from The Island [2025], Session 2
Story: Reprinting The Enlightened Nuns from the Time of the Buddha by Panadure Vajira Silmatha. Told by Ajahn Amaro. [Dhamma books] [Bhikkhunī] [Buddha/Biography] // [Ajahn Candasirī] [Ajahn Amaro] [Artistic expression] [Non-return] [Bodhisattva]
Story: The wanderer Upaka falls in love with Cāpā, marries her, then returns to the Buddha, ordains as a monk, and becomes a non-returner. [Commentaries]
Vinaya: Mahāvagga 1.6: Upaka meets the Buddha.
Sutta: Thig 13.3: Cāpātherīgāthā (Upaka is apparently called Kāḷa here).
Reference: Upaka, The Dictionary of Pāli Proper Names by G P Malalasekera.
Sutta: SN 2.24 mentions Upaka as a non-returner.
Readings from The Island [2025], Session 7, Excerpt 1
Readings from The Island by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro, Chapter 5, pp. 87-92. Read by Ajahn Amaro:
Nyaṇatiloka Bhikkhu, Buddhist Dictionary, p. 106.
Suttas: MN 140.31; Dhp 21; AN 6.49; SN 22.49; SN 1.20; Nid 80.226; MN 144.9; SN 22.59 (also at Mahāvagga 1.6).
Readings from The Island [2025], Session 15
Readings from The Island by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro, Chapter 5, pp. 105-109. Read by Ajahn Amaro:
Suttas: MN 75.12; MN 74.2-5; MN 102.12; Iti 49; SN 12.15, SN 22.90.
Vinaya: Mahāvagga 1.6 (also at SN 22.59).
Readings from The Island [2025], Session 19
“MN 49.26 says that the Buddha made himself invisible. Are the suttas always to be taken literally?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Buddha/Biography] [Psychic powers] [Tipiṭaka] // [Brahma gods] [Culture/India] [Ven. Ananda Maitreya]
Vinaya: Mahāvagga 1.7.8: The Buddha conceals Yasa.
Readings from The Island [2025], Session 39, Excerpt 1
“This is a bit pedantic, but shouldn’t it be 1,003? It says the three Kassapa brothers and their 1,000 disciples.” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Language]
Sutta: SN 35.28: Ādittapariyāya Sutta (Chanting book translation).
Vinaya: Mahāvagga 1.15: The story of the Kassapa brothers.
Readings from The Island [2025], Session 6, Excerpt 1
Readings from The Island by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro, Chapter 2, pp. 48-52. Read by Ajahn Amaro:
Suttas: SN 35.28 (also at Mahāvagga 1.21); Iti 93; SN 44.9.
Readings from The Island [2025], Session 6
“To what extend is spreading the teachings part of the tudong tradition?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Teaching Dhamma] [Tudong] // [Culture/Thailand]
Vinaya: Mahāvagga 1.23: Venerable Assaji’s demeanor inspires Sariputta. [Great disciples] [Perception of a samaṇa]
Story: Ajahn Pasanno goes tudong and is asked for lottery numbers. [Ajahn Pasanno]
Tudong Stories at Spirit Rock [2011], Session 2, Excerpt 13
“When the Buddha addressed AN 7.61 to Mahā Mogallāna, was Mahā Mogallāna already and arahant?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Great disciples] [Arahant] // [Fetters] [Almsround] [Perception of a samaṇa]
Vinaya: Mahāvagga 1.23: Sāriputta meets Assaji and realizes stream entry after hearing a brief verse. [Stream entry]
Readings from The Island [2025], Session 30, Excerpt 4
Reflection by Ajahn Pasanno: 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]