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Kathina at Tisarana: November 8, 2015

Each year since the time of the Buddha, at the end of the three-month Rains Retreat, lay people who support Buddhist monasteries have gathered to celebrate the completion of the retreat and offer the monastic community gifts of robe cloth and requisites that will be useful for the coming year. The cloth is cut, sewn and dyed by the monks that same day to make a robe to offer to a member of the monastic Sangha.

This 2,500-year-old tradition is still carried on here in the West, initiated by a lay supporter or group of supporters who request to organize the preparation and formal offerings. Kathina is a significant and joyful occasion that’s emblematic of the rich relationship between lay people and monastics, a connection characterized by deep bonds of friendship and commitment to mutual support. The core values that are celebrated by the Kathina tradition are those that make living together in harmony possible; qualities like generosity, patience, joy, kindness and empathy.

2015 is the third year that a Kathina is being held for the Sangha at Tisarana Buddhist Monastery. This year’s Kathina will have eight bhikkhus in attendance and is being sponsored by the lay members of the Tisarana Board of directors.… Read the rest

The Willingness to Awaken to Discontent

Ajahn Viradhammo explains how we can use discernment to awaken to the Noble Truth of suffering. Ajahn uses the pali word lakkhana (mark or characteristic) as a way to understand the role discernment plays in exploring discontent.… Read the rest

The Buddha as a Car Mechanic

The Buddha is likened to the role of a car mechanic rather than being in the role of an abstract theoretician. A car mechanic explores the problem, realizes what is broken, fixes it, and then might teach someone what was done from that very real basis of experience. This is opposed to a very theoretical position that is not based on actual experience. Ajahn Viradhammo also focuses on the difference between discernment and criticism in this talk.… Read the rest

One Size Does Not Fit All – Q & A

Ajahn Viradhammo answers questions from the laity during an informal tea time session at Tisarana. Themes include letting go, ego development, navigating though sense distractions, developing paramis, generosity, self-thinking, present moment awareness, interest and curiosity, noticing cessation, dealing with anxiety, heart practice, a definition of practice: letting go of self view, being aware of only what we are conscious of, attainment and goal seeking, etc.… Read the rest

Samanera Khema’s Bhikkhu Ordination on Sunday, October 11, 2015 at 1:00 pm

On Sunday, October 11 at 1:00 pm, Samanera Khema will take full ordination (Upasmapadā) and become a Bhikkhu under the preceptorship of Luang Por Vīradhammo. All are welcome to attend.

There will be a pot luck meal at 11:00 am. The ceremony is planned to take less than one hour and will be followed by a Dhamma talk given by Ajahn Vīradhammo. This will all take place in our large outdoor tent at the monastery. In addition to the tent, canopies will be available in case there is a large attendance.… Read the rest

The Smell of Donuts

A talk by Luang Por Viradhammo: Our minds are stimulated by so many experiences that we are not given enough space to reflect on the nature of Dhamma. We are consistently being drawn outward by our tendency to move toward external experience and may find it difficult to maintain awareness due to this outgoing tendency. Themes also include: Buddhism as a religion, idolatry verses symbology, and how paying attention is one of the more valuable qualities of our practice.… Read the rest

Submitting to the Reality of the Egg

Luang Por Viradhammo speaks about the need to harmonize with our experience of reality rather than fighting against this reality, wanting it to be different, believing that is it different, or trying to force it to be other than what it is. Whether good or bad, our experience of reality is what we have to work with and what we can choose to learn from.… Read the rest

Two Perceptions

Ajahn Viradhammo addresses how the Buddha’s teachings speak of two perceptions: the conventional and the transcendent. Read the rest

Watching Resistance

Ajahn Viradhammo encourages us to choose awareness rather than blind reactivity to circumstances, so we can abide in a consciousness that is aware of change. This is a transcendent form of freedom which is different from being caught in resistance or trying to get what you want.… Read the rest