On the first day of this retreat in Thailand Ajahn Viradhammo gives a talk on the five Jhana factors. He reflects that all five can be employed as a method, rather than expecting Piti and Sukha to be the result. He also speaks about the five hindrances. (Talk recorded at Pak Chong on 24 November 2019. Duration 45:49)… Read the rest
Tan Khemako gives a reflection on how our minds cling to views and beliefs. He uses the example of climate change, explaining that we filter everything we read/hear about the subject to fit in with our view. (Talk recorded at Tisarana on 11 December 2019. Duration 32:58) … Read the rest
The Buddha comes to Sussex – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JznA4ueq2vE
Video details – https://dharma-documentaries.net/the-buddha-comes-to-sussex… Read the rest
We had a meeting yesterday to talk over points of the new Dhamma Hall construction contract. Here we are, all in the office. Gabriel took the picture using a fish-eye lens to get us all in the shot!
We’ve heard that at Wat Pah Nanachat they’ve cancelled the daily Pindabhat and, like Tisarana, have a small group of lay volunteers cooking for the community. There’s a vinaya rule against wearing the ‘wrong’ colors (blue, white, others) and so the Nanachat monks are wearing face masks made with robe-cloth covers.
Our discussion this morning centered on how best to carry out the Patimokkha, given that the instructions require the monks to be within about 18 inches of each other. The vinaya (rules for monks) also wisely contains several allowances for extraordinary circumstances (e.g. a time of illness, a time of dangers, and the like) which give us some maneuvering room to figure out how best to respond. In this case we’re planning to do the ceremony, but maintain the 6-foot rule.
It’s all part of the life… … Read the rest
Ajahn Viradhammo gives a reflection about whether happiness is something a meditator should be trying to achieve from his/her meditation, or whether it is more skillful to cultivate wholesome thoughts that are inherently ‘happy’. He gives examples of thoughts of loving-kindness (Metta) and gratitude. (Talk recorded at Tisarana on 11 November 2019. Duration 36:48)… Read the rest
Next on our list of Video Documentaries from the Ajahn Chah Forest Tradition – an oldie but goodie: Blue Eyes in Saffron Robes (1979). This video feature young versions of monks who went on to become famous teachers, including Ajahns Amaro and Jayasaro.
A good website describing the video: https://dharma-documentaries.net/blue-eyes-in-saffron-robes… Read the rest
We’ve started a plain-vanilla blog, probably the closest we’ll get to social media. Here you might find occasional posts by various monastery residents about monastery life, including a kick-off post today by Tan Khemako. You can find it under the “News” menu item at the top of the site, or here.… Read the rest
Technically I’m still on Winter Retreat forest practice, but it’s getting pretty hard to ignore the signs of spring. The squirrels outside my kuti have been engaging in quite loud and sometimes shocking territorial combat. After meditating in the long stillness of the snowed-in weeks, with only the distant sound of coy-wolves howling, for me this is pretty exciting. Yesterday there was some sort of rodent-brawl that involved several of them; banging the door, running up and down the porch screens and squeaking with insane intensity.
I was a little afraid to go outside. It is not often I get intimidated by squirrels, but Spring is madness for them.
Along with all that commotion, one of our younger monastics, Vipassi, told me about a plan to build a tree-platform (gasp!) for outdoor practice in a little grove on the new land, and he wanted my advice about constructing it. Well, my mind took that up like a retriever takes a tennis ball, and would NOT let it go. I’ve been designing ‘tree brackets’ in mental space now for 2 days. Maybe it will calm down soon and I’ll get a few more days of peace and quiet before the work year starts up.… Read the rest
Tan Khemako delves deeper into this simile in response to a question from a retreat attendee. He explains how our minds have been conditioned to create a conceptual overlay covering the raw phenomena that we experience. Clinging to these concepts is what causes our suffering. (Dhamma Talk recorded at Arnprior on 27 November 2019. Duration 1:00:40) … Read the rest
As many of us are restricted to staying at home more often, we thought we would share some inspiring Dhamma videos (all of which can be found on YouTube) every couple of days to make our increased time at home more beneficial. Many of you might have seen a number of these, but they give a good insight into where our tradition came from, and what life was like for the early Sangha.
First on the list: The Mindful Way – Buddhist Monks of the Forest Tradition in Thailand with Ajahn Chah
May all beings be well & happy.… Read the rest
