As monastics, it’s worth keeping in mind where our focus is. It is not on worldly skills such as well-honed public speaking. The Buddha said that in former times the monks who were respected and praised were those who lived and trained in the forest and put effort into practice, but later, respect and praise went to the monks who had good speaking skills. Skills, talents, and even an ability to gi…

For me, this story [The Buddha’s Awakening] represents the awakening of a human mind to the limitations of sensory experience. Personally I can relate to this from a time when I was at university. I questioned life a lot: “What is it all about? Where is this all going to?” I used to wonder about death and started thinking: “What is the point of getting this university degree? Even if I become a fa…

Once the Buddha was staying in a forest and took up a handful of leaves. He asked the bhikkhus which they thought were more numerous, the leaves in his hand or those in the forest. When they replied that the leaves in the forest were more numerous, the Buddha responded: Even so, bhikkhus, those things I have known directly are numerous, while those I have taught are few. And why, bhikkhus, have I…

The Four Requisites are the basic possessions of an alms-mendicant: a set of robes, alms-food, shelter and medicine. A monk or nun may be offered more, but these are the basics. The training is about keeping possessions to a minimum. Based on simplicity and minimal needs, the monastic life helps you to steer away from habits of gathering, accumulation and collection of things that may seem ‘absolu…

One of the most important skills monks at Wat Pah Pong were expected to develop in the first years of their training was the ability to judge ‘the right amount’ – not too much and not too little, the optimum amount – when consuming the requisites. Reflections on wise use of the requisites were included in the morning and evening chanting sessions to provide regular reminders. Too much of anything…

In our society, we are very much conditioned to believe that our memories are really ours. We don’t generally remember the ordinary events of our lives, but we do remember the very good ones; we remember when we won a prize or had a wonderful romance. We also remember the bad things we have done or that have been done to us. Grasping occurs either when we hold on and regurgitate all our memories o…

In positive terms, right speech means speaking in ways that are trustworthy, harmonious, comforting, and worth taking to heart. When you make a practice of these positive forms of right speech, your words become a gift to others. In response, other people will start listening more to what you say and will be more likely to respond in kind. This gives you a sense of the power of your actions: the w…

I’ll tell you a story about the Supreme Patriarch, something I’ve heard from other people. He went to China and, when he arrived, the Chinese gave him a teacup. It was really beautiful. There was nothing like it in Thailand. And as soon as he received the teacup, he suffered: Where was he going to put it? Where was he going to keep it? He put it in his shoulder bag. If anyone touched his shoulder…

In Pali, the language of early Buddhism, the word for forgiveness—khama—also means “the earth.” A mind like the earth is non-reactive and unperturbed. When you forgive me for harming you, you decide not to retaliate, to seek no revenge. You don’t have to like me. You simply unburden yourself of the weight of resentment and cut the cycle of retribution that would otherwise keep us ensnarled in an u…

Those who cease to set up like against dislike, who are cooled, who are not swayed by worldly conditions – these I call great beings. v. 418 Liking and disliking can happen so quickly that we may feel we have no control over them. Somebody says something pleasant, and we like them. Another person says something hurtful, and we dislike them. It might be true that we can’t stop liking and disliking…