Ajahn Viradhammo notes that if we are preoccupied with the conditioned, we cannot be available to the unconditioned. To learn about dullness or anxiety for example, we make an effort to sustain our awareness on the changing nature of conditioned phenomenon. He also speaks on being patiently aware of negative judgments as objects of mind as well as noticing the habit of creating self-perception.… Read the rest
Ajahn Viradhammo discusses Luang Por Dune Atulo’s nuanced approach to the Four Noble Truths. He also speaks about how right effort helps us understand how our attention gets preoccupied in certain situations or with particular emotions.… Read the rest
Ajahn Viradhammo encourages our connection to the heart chakra, and offers techniques to do this when we start the day. He also discusses the interrelationship between dukkha-vedana, dukkha-Sacca, and dukkha-Lakkhana. He notes that preoccupation with the sense realm is a form of idolatry to experience, a belief that worldly objects will take care of us.… Read the rest
Ajahn Viradhammo uses an analogy for the fingers and the thumb where the fingers are the sense objects that touch the thumb — awareness. In this way being fully conscious of difficult emotions points back to awareness. He also distinguishes between the goal of trying to attain particular emotional responses to life and gaining wisdom and refuge through witnessing cessation.… Read the rest
Ajahn Viradhammo speaks about the skill required to cook an egg and shows how to use this same skill to understand our experience just as it is. He also talks about the joy of developing character and the importance of developing the perception of sense objects changing in awareness.… Read the rest
A talk from the 2015 winter retreat. Ajahn Viradhammo opens with a quote from Venerable Nyanatiloka’s translation of Nibbana. He gives salience to keeping the goal in mind (the vanishing of greed, hatred and delusion), how we can learn to make honest and clear assessments about our inner worlds so as not to create negative kamma within the mind.… Read the rest
During a tea time gathering at Tisarana, Ajahn Viradhammo answers questions about: transitioning from the “end” of formal meditation, explanation of the terms: awareness/ space/consciousness, being stuck on the awareness of awareness, dealing with the habit of the busy, do something mind, right thought, and when the mind won’t settle down for sleep.… Read the rest
Ajahn Viradhammo speaks to the winter retreat support crew of 2016. He explains how to have a skillful attitude during the retreat by not reacting to one’s likes and dislikes, developing harmonious communication, and serving the retreat in a helpful and wholesome way. All of these acts of goodness help to support one’s personal practice so Dhamma and insight can be more easily penetrated.… Read the rest
Dealing with a cold, Ajahn Viradhammo explains that when we go through difficulties in our lives, instead of focusing on our histories and problems (which create endless objects of the mind (sankharas), if we accept and remain aware of our changing experiences then we can face such adversity with a mind at ease.… Read the rest
By taking the middle way between resistance and indulgence, Ajahn Viradhammo suggests that we try to monitor our habits and see where the thinking mind gets us stuck in self views. From this understanding we can learn how to abandon the thinking process, simply knowing mental formations (sankharas) as mental formations.… Read the rest
