48 events, 217 sessions, 1747 excerpts, 99:31:28 total duration
Most common topics:
Monastic life
(114)
Ajahn Chah
(105)
Ajahn Pasanno
(98)
Mindfulness of breathing
(81)
Death
(60)
Jhāna
(57)
Suffering
(56)
Directed thought and evaluation
(52)
Goodwill
(52)
Happiness
(51)
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1. “How do I put the Four Noble Truths into practice in daily life?” Answered by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Four Noble Truths] [Everyday life] // [Discernment] [Suffering] [Noble Truth of Suffering] [Cause of Suffering]
2. “Can you talk more about the shift from feeling unsafe to feeling safe?” Answered by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Fear] // [Knowing itself] [Suffering] [Pandemic]
Quote: “Being alive has many inherent risks.” [Characteristics of existence] [Impermanence]
3. “In living with others, we tend to stick with our perceptions, causing potential conflict with them. How can we accept others as they are and be able to live with others harmoniously?” Answered by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Perception] [Conflict] [Communal harmony] // [Goodwill] [Judgementalism] [Generosity]
4. “How should a person cope with loneliness without having to rely on other things/people/contact?” Answered by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Loneliness] // [Seclusion] [Ajahn Ñāṇiko] [Discernment] [Present moment awareness]
5. “What is the attitude to have towards others who are not on the path but are close family members?” Answered by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Family] // [Judgementalism] [Respect]
6. “How can you hold appreciation and gratitude and not lose an awareness of dukkha and understanding of dukkha?” Answered by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Gratitude] [Noble Truth of Suffering] // [Cessation of Suffering]
7. “Returning to the knowing’ was described as aware, awake, and bright. I understand aware and awake. Is the brightness something that comes up naturally because of lack of kilesas or something that the mind is lifted to?” Answered by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Knowing itself] [Conditionality] [Unwholesome Roots] [Gladdening the mind]
8. “In the ‘Verses of Sharing and Aspiration’ (Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 33), what is the threefold bliss?” Answered by Ajahn Ñāṇiko and Ajahn Pasanno. [Happiness] // [Health] [Nibbāna] [Deva]
9. “Could you suggest some inquiry questions to contemplate and investigate the wisdom practice of equanimity?” Answered by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Recollection] [Discernment] [Equanimity] // [Kamma] [Judgementalism]
Reference: Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 55.
10. “For the next 25 years, what will be the leading light for the direction of Abhayagiri? Is there any collective vision?” Answered by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Abhayagiri] [Saṅgha] // [Building projects] [Lodging]
11. “What could I to to help myself fear death less?” Answered by Ajahn Ñāṇiko and Ajahn Pasanno. [Fear ] [Death] // [Virtue] [Restlessness and worry] [Truth] [Stream entry] [Impermanence] [Recollection/Death] [Present moment awareness] [Recollection/Virtue] [Self-identity view]
1. “How do you avoid falling in the trap of caring about something/someone too much and becoming attached to that something/someone?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Compassion] [Clinging] // [Suffering] [Equanimity] [Goodwill] [Generosity] [Bases of Success] [Desire] [Self-identity view] [Craving] [Cessation of Suffering]
2. “How do we overcome regret and remorse associated with not being able to do good or meet our loved ones at the time of passing away?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Restlessness and worry] [Merit] [Death] [Pandemic] [Grief] // [Goodwill] [Self-identity view] [Discernment] [Determination]
3. “I struggle to find meaning in life....I struggle to find what to do during my days and what to do in the future in terms of career or lifestyle....What would be your advice for someone who feels lost as to what to do next in his/her life?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Purpose/meaning ] [Sickness] [Work] [Depression] // [Right Effort] [Generosity] [Virtue] [Kamma] [Happiness] [Clear comprehension]
4. “I struggle with restlessness. I always want to be doing something, and I often end up doing several things at the same time so it’s draining and not enjoyable. It’s very difficult to stop, and when I stop, I don’t know what to do, so I might grab my iPhone, clean stuff....Could you talk about restlessness and how to do nothing if that’s actually possible?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Restlessness and worry ] [Pace of life] [Technology] // [Volition] [Mindfulness of mind] [Simplicity] [Present moment awareness] [Impermanence]
5. “Why do we forget past lives?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Rebirth] [Memory]
6. “A question about Dogenji’s teaching: ‘To study the Buddha Way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be actualized by myriad things. When actualized by myriad things your body and mind as well as the bodies and minds of others drop away. No trace of enlightenment remains, and this no trace continues endlessly.’ Can you reflect on this teaching from the Theravāda Thai Forest Teachings?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Dōgen] [Zen ] [Eightfold Path] [Not-self] [Liberation] [Theravāda] [Thai Forest Tradition] // [Teaching Dhamma] [Knowledge and vision] [Four Noble Truths] [Self-identity view] [Relinquishment] [Aggregates] [Proliferation] [Discernment] [Compassion]
Quote: “Everything is teaching us. Everything is a manifestation of Dhamma and truth.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Dhamma] [Truth] [Suchness]
7. “I’m lucky not to have any obligations such as taking care of a family, making money, working, etc., but I don’t know what to do with my life....Always wondering what to do with my life is a bit tough. How would you suggest I approach the situation?...How do you figure out what to do with your life when you have too much freedom?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Purpose/meaning] [Work] // [Culture/West] [Right Effort] [Conceit] [Generosity]
See also Question 3 in this same session.
8. “In our worldly life we always have expectations on things that we do. What would be the best way for us to change this habit and do everything without expectations?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Everyday life] [Desire] [Craving] [Habits] // [Impermanence] [Bases of Success] [Skillful qualities] [Right Effort]
9. “Does Luang Por Pasanno know what happened to Ajahn Visuddhi or Christine Lee?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Abhayagiri] // [Ajahn Amaro] [Ajahn Karuṇadhammo] [Disrobing]
1. “When everything goes the way you want and you are about to retire, but you feel a subtle, barely detectable dissatisfaction, and you’re not sure why. What specific things should you do besides ordaining and becoming a monk?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Suffering ] [Lay life] [Retirement] // [Saṃsāra] [Clinging] [Cause of Suffering] [Relinquishment]
Advice from an aged elder: “I think you should follow the Eightfold Path.” — Bhante Dharmawara [Bhante Dharmawara] [Eightfold Path] [City of Ten Thousand Buddhas] [Health care]
2. “What would be the most difficult thing if you were to go back to lay life? What would be the most enjoyable, fun, nice thing about lay life?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Ajahn Karuṇadhammo] [Lay life] // [Disenchantment] [Happiness]
3. “What would you advise someone living a lay life with no intention of becoming a monk?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Lay life ] // [Dhamma] [Spiritual friendship]
4. “Do you notice a difference in monks and their practice or the monastery depending on the country or region they are living in?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Monastic life] [Cultural context] // [Ajahn Chah monasteries] [Culture/West]
5. “I was reading somewhere about the Buddha, the Awakened, bright with splendor day and night. How do dream states inform our awakening?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Buddha] [Liberation] [Dreams]
6. “How do we protect ourselves from others taking advantage of our kindness and generosity? Some people consider our meekness and humility as weak and try to intimidate or bully us. I just freeze during such times, unable to say anything, thinking it may worsen the situation.” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Abuse/violence ] [Goodwill] [Generosity] [Humility] // [Discernment]
7. “Is it fine to give with the understanding of the law of cause and effect, thinking that this generosity will bring benefit to the recipient now as well as it will benefit us in the future in a similar way?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Generosity] [Kamma] [Volition] [Ageing] // [Recollection/Generosity]
Sutta: AN 4.77: Imponderables. [Commerce/economics]
8. “How do you deal with anger?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Aversion ] // [Sense restraint] [Right Speech] [Mindfulness of body] [Proliferation] [Spaciousness] [Patience] [Goodwill]
9. “How to forgive a person who has hurt and done very wrong things to you?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Forgiveness ] [Abuse/violence] // [Aversion] [Memory] [Mindfulness of body] [Kamma] [Spiritual friendship] [Proliferation]
See also the previous question, “How do you deal with anger?”
10. “I am taken by the idea of volition. Can one enter volition without judgement?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Volition] [Judgementalism] // [Kamma] [Killing]
11. “How to deal with self-blame due to losing a loved one to suicide?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Suicide] [Guilt/shame/inadequacy] // [Volition] [Proliferation] [Relinquishment] [Western psychology] [Forgiveness]
Quote: “People who commit suicide leave their skeletons in other people’s closets.” — Steven Levine.
12. “Is the ‘knowing’ awareness, presence, consciousness? Can you say more about this?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Knowing itself] [Consciousness] [Nature of mind] // [Mindfulness of breathing] [Knowledge and vision] [Four Noble Truths] [Heart/mind] [Sense bases]
1. “How do you or other monks deal with grief associated with the passing away of loved ones, especially parents or caretakers who have been kind to you? Do you also experience ‘crying out in isolation’ to heal that grief?” Answered by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Grief] [Death] [Parents] // [Impermanence] [Merit] [Gratitude] [Recollection/Death]
2. “Are monks in the forest tradition required to meditate near dead bodies in cremation grounds? Is that to uproot defilements of fear of death? Is it considered psychologically safe?” Answered by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Thai Forest Tradition] [Recollection/Death] [Fear] [Death] // [Ascetic practices] [Wat Pah Nanachat] [Naturalness]
Quote: “Death is the most ordinary thing in the world.” — Ajahn Liem. [Ajahn Liem]
3. “Can you expand on what is the korwat for how to treat teachers and how to treat guests?” Answered by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Protocols] [Respect for elders] [Hospitality]
Vinaya: Kd 18: Vattakkhandhaka and explanation in Buddhist Monastic Code Vol. 2 Chapter 13
4. “Could you please elaborate on rules fro putting one’s hands in añjali when speaking to a monk at Abhayagiri? And what about bowing? It’s a weakness in my practice that I would like to improve.” Answered by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Respect] [Abhayagiri] [Bowing] // [Mindfulness] [Faith] [Devotional practice] [Continuity of mindfulness]
5. “When someone shows you how to do something correctly but the manner in which they convey the message is rude, what is the most skillful thing you can do to let the person know they were perceived as rude but fully absorb the content of their beneficial message?” Answered by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Admonishment/feedback] [Right Speech] // [Cultural context] [Equanimity] [Nonviolent Communication]
6. “Can you tell us about the history of female monastics or aspirants who stayed at the monastery in the early days and why it didn’t work out?” Answered by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Women's monastic forms] [Abhayagiri] // [Ajahn Sundarā] [Ajahn Jitindriyā] [Sīladharā]
7. “How do you understand the phrase, ‘The body within the body?’” Answered by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Right Mindfulness] [Mindfulness of body] // [Views] [Discernment] [Relinquishment]
8. “What duty do we have to parents who often act foolishly and use harmfull and abusive language?” Answered by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Parents] [Abuse/violence] // [Right Speech]
Story: Ajahn Ñāṇiko’s grandfather vows to treat his children with kindness. [Family] [Goodwill]
9. “Can you please describe the main stages of insight meditation?” Answered by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Insight meditation] [Progress of insight] // [Suffering] [Direct experience] [Cessation of Suffering] [Noble Truth of Suffering] [Ignorance] [Cause of Suffering]
Quote: “What are the stages of getting my hand out of this fire?” [Similes]
10. “What is the illumination that appears during sitting meditation? Is the false or the true? Is it from inside or outside or neither?” Answered by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Suffering] [Questions] [Proliferation]
Refer to the previous question.
Story: Well, I contemplated impermanence and nothing happened. [Impermanence] [Recollection] [Meditation/Results]
11. Ajahn Ñāṇiko responds to a long question about the situation in Burma/Myanmar. [Politics and society] // [News] [Buddha/Biography] [Māra] [Suffering] [Teaching Dhamma]
12. “If we don’t have a saṅgha close to where we live, should we move to a different place, or are online saṅghas good enough? Can non-Buddhist people be part of your saṅgha?” Answered by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Community] [Meditation groups] [Online community] [Buddhist identity] [Spiritual friendship]
Quote: “You don’t convert people to Buddhism.” — The Dalai Lama. [Dalai Lama]
13. “It seems that monks have a pretty strict schedule. What is the purpose of this?” Answered by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Monastic routine] [Time management] // [Vinaya] [Lunar observance days] [Eating after noon] [Devotion to wakefulness] [Ascetic practices]
14. “During the Q&A yesterday afternoon, I heard the recommendation to set a boundary (Session 12, question 6). I feel that creating a boundary is falling into the category of the Five Hindrances. The Buddha taught us to practice the brahmaviharas which are boundless. Please clarify why we need to set a boundary.” Answered by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Hindrances] [Divine Abidings] // [Aversion] [Abuse/violence] [Leadership]
1. “What can I do to stop judging?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Judgementalism] // [Suffering] [Relinquishment]
2. “Thank you for your talk today. You mentioned giving the opportunity for everyone to practice and train. However, there seem to be no Ajahn Chah monasteries in the US and Canada where women can ordain and train. Would Abhayagiri be open to having a female monastic community at some point in the future?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Women's monastic forms ] [Western Ajahn Chah monasteries] [Abhayagiri] // [Culture/Thailand] [Dhammadharini Monastery] [Karuna Buddhist Vihara] [Sīladharā] [Bhikkhunī] [Women in Buddhism]
3. “I remember reading in one of Ajahn Chah’s books about comparing our feelings to a snake with sadness and unhappiness at its head and happiness as its tail and how we should not touch any part of its body....How can we just watch [feelings] come in and out of our mind without interacting with it or getting influenced by it?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Feeling] [Similes] [Happiness] [Suffering] [Equanimity] // [Appropriate attention]
Reference: “The Middle Way Within,” Collected Teachings of Ajahn Chah, p. 2.
4. “What is the meaning of the inscription on the Buddha statue behind you?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Buddha images] [Abhayagiri] // [Ajahn Jundee]
5. “A sense of causeless joy permeates awareness, yet there remains a sense of me that experiences. How to dissolve that?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Happiness] [Knowing itself] [Conceit] // [Noble Truth of Suffering] [Suffering] [Relinquishment]
6. “Why do the monks keep their eyes closed during meditation?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Meditation/General advice] [Postures] // [Sense bases] [Seclusion] [Sloth and torpor] [Restlessness and worry]
7. “How do you recognize when craving has arisen?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Craving]
8. “When practicing letting go, is there any particular order to do so? For example, if I am attached to career, friends, and family (in order of increasing attachment), which shall I let go of first?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Clinging] [Relinquishment] // [Unwholesome Roots] [Similes]
9. “If everything in life is great, and I am enjoying my life, why practice? What could get better?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Everyday life] [Happiness] [Heedfulness] // [Discernment] [Right Effort] [Rebirth] [Noble Truth of Suffering] [Right View]
10. “How do you feel the holes? How do you feel good without the need for anything external/addictions, in other words, coping mechanisms. How do you deal with and move past what lies underneath these mechanisms?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Craving] [Clinging] [Addiction] [Outflows] // [Mindfulness] [Clear comprehension] [Discernment] [Noble Truth of Suffering]
11. “Should we consider the brahmavihāras a form of emotion or are they kinds of knowledge or understanding?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Divine Abidings] [Emotion] [Knowledge and vision]
12. “Can you please talk more about the three happinesses and what we should be careful about?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Happiness] [Heedfulness] // [Everyday life] [Deva] [Nibbāna] [Hindrances] [Virtue] [Community]
Reference: Verses of Sharing and Aspiration, Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 33.
13. “I have loaned something to my brother, and he just won’t give it back to me no matter how many times I ask him. How would you approach this situation?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Family] [Virtue] // [Right Speech] [Clear comprehension]
14. “Have you ever suffered from some sort of addiction and how did you recover from it? What would be your advice for someone suffering from an addiction?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Addiction] [Suffering] // [Sensual desire] [Self-identity view] [Spiritual friendship] [Three Refuges] [Happiness] [Appropriate attention]
15. “Could you please explain how one practices applied and sustained thought in breath meditation?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Directed thought and evaluation] [Mindfulness of breathing] // [Ajahn Chah]
16. “Could you please explain why the ajahn holds a fan in front of himself during the taking of refuges?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Three Refuges] [Ceremony/ritual] // [Abhayagiri] [Kaṭhina] [Symbolism] [Dhamma]
1. “Could you talk about the time of the fires that came so close to the monastery?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Disasters] [Abhayagiri] // [City of Ten Thousand Buddhas] [Lodging]
2. “Sometimes when I meditate, I have a pleasant sensation similar to goosebumps or light massage on the back of the head....I would be grateful for your advice in understanding it.” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Meditation/Unusual experiences ] [Rapture] // [Ajahn Chah] [Clinging] [Impermanence] [Relinquishment] [Characteristics of existence]
3. “What are the sufferings that you still struggle with? How do you deal with them and why do you think you still suffer with these sufferings despite following the precepts and the Eightfold Path?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Suffering] [Eightfold Path] // [Unwholesome Roots] [Monastic life] [Views] [Saṃsāra] [Liberation] [Long-term practice] [Rebirth] [Faith]
4. “Why do you think we sometimes don’t know what to do with our lives? Did you experience this before becoming a monk and do you sometimes still experience it? What helped you when you felt that way?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Purpose/meaning] [Ajahn Karuṇadhammo] [Monastic life] // [Delusion] [Sensual desire] [Māra] [Impermanence] [Clinging] [Truth] [Determination]
5. “How does one practice wise restraint in lay life when one has to deal with family, friends, coworkers, and so on? Especially on the level of speech and emotions that one encounters.” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Sense restraint] [Lay life] [Right Speech] [Emotion] // [Discernment] [Unwholesome Roots] [Appropriate attention] [Continuity of mindfulness] [Mindfulness of body] [Clear comprehension]
Vinaya: Conditions for skillful admonishment in the Buddhist Monastic Code’s discussion of Bhikkhu Saṇghādisesa 8. [Admonishment/feedback]
6. “Is it possible that someone is following the Eightfold Path without being aware that it is the path laid out by the Buddha? It seems conceivable that someone could figure out [effort to increase wholesome states and decrease unwholesome states] but never realize what they are doing is Right Effort from the Eightfold Path. Could someone like this attain Nibbāna?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Eightfold Path] [Buddhist identity] [Right Effort] [Nibbāna] // [Paccekabuddha] [Buddha]
7. “The concepts of non-self and rebirth seem contradictory to me. Can you expand on these topics? What is it that passes from one life to the next if there is no self?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Not-self ] [Rebirth] // [Views] [Tranquility] [Insight meditation] [Aggregates] [Self-identity view] [Disenchantment] [Dispassion] [Unwholesome Roots] [Consciousness] [Proliferation] [Conditionality]
Sutta: DN 15.21 refers to rebirth and consciousness.
1. “The reflection on kamma (Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 55) uses language related to family: ‘born,’ ‘heir,’ ‘related’, ‘supported.’ What are the implications of this?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Kamma] [Family] [Language] // [Community] [Perception]
2. “I have a family and family responsibilities. How do I know I’m on the path and making right effort?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Family] [Right Effort] [Doubt] // [Four Noble Truths] [Culture/West] [Mindfulness of feeling] [Direct experience]
3. “How do I know what is the Middle Path?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno, Ajahn Amaro and Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Middle Path] // [Four Noble Truths] [Direct experience]
Quote: “It’s not a concept. It’s like are you on your bike or are you on the ground?” — Ajahn Amaro.
4. “You spoke about the teachings and the training. What is the training for a lay practitioner other than the Five Precepts?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro. [Dhamma] [Vinaya] [Lay life] [Five Precepts] // [Meditation] [Communal harmony] [Right Livelihood] [Family] [Work] [Politics and society] [Spiritual friendship]
5. “Could you speak more about how to prevent feelings from becoming aversion or desire? How does this relate to Dependent Origination?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Feeling] [Aversion] [Craving] [Dependent origination] // [Arahant] [Buddha] [Pain] [Mindfulness] [Birth] [Impermanence] [Happiness] [Direct experience] [Proliferation] [Master Hsuan Hua]
Story: Ajahn Pasanno breaks his pelvis in Thailand. [Ajahn Pasanno]
1. Comment: I listen to the talks and read the books, and everything is so logical and rational, but I’m still stuck in habitual patterns of living. [Hearing the true Dhamma] [Dhamma books] [Everyday life] [Habits]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Association with people of integrity] [Community] [Monasteries] [Lunar observance days] [Online community] [Chanting] [Spiritual friendship] [Impermanence] [Monastic life/Motivation] [Generosity]
Quote: “When you’re living with a group of people, not everybody is depressed and lazy and fed up at the same time.” [Unwholesome Roots]
Sutta: SN 55.5 Sāriputta [Factors for stream entry]
2. “Early on in practice, I learned that practicing sīla (virtue) leads to the bliss of the blamelessness life and creates the conditions for samādhi. What is the Pāli word that translates to ‘the bliss of the blameless life?’” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Virtue ] [Merit] [Happiness ] [Concentration] [Pāli] // [Right Livelihood] [Generosity] [Right Intention]
Quote: “Sīla is the opportunity to rise up to a life of integrity.”
3. Comment: Sīla (virtue) is like a compass. You know if you’re off. [Virtue]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Suffering] [Feeling]
Quote: “The language of Dhamma is the language of feeling.” — Ajahn Chah. Quoted by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Dhamma]
4. Comment: I’m appreciative of Zoom. It’s helpful on many levels, but I’m missing the actual physical presence. [Online community] [Pandemic] [Community]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Human] [Monasteries]
1. “What was it like growing up in such an isolated place? Did this influence you towards spiritual or philosophical inquiry from a young age?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Culture/Natural environment] [Spiritual search] [Ajahn Pasanno]
2. “After you grew up and went to college, you travelled around the world and ended up in Thailand. What set you off on this journey around the world?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Travel] [Ajahn Pasanno] // [Spiritual search] [Learning] [Zen]
Follow-up: “What attracted you to Thailand?” [Culture/Thailand]
3. “Did you go on a retreat in Thailand? How did you end up ordaining in Bangkok?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Meditation retreats] [Ordination] [Ajahn Pasanno] // [Mahasi Sayadaw] [Temporary ordination]
4. “How did it come to be that you ended up with Ajahn Chah? What was it like the first time you met him?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Pasanno] // [Determination] [Wat Pah Pong]
Quote: (To himself) “Five years if five years. You’ve got to do it.”
5. “Were there any memories from that period of training with Ajahn Chah that really stand out in your mind? In what ways did you find it difficult?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Monastic life] [Wat Pah Pong] [Ajahn Pasanno] // [Poverty] [Requisites] [Posture/Sitting] [Monastic routine]
Quote: “It was difficult, but it was also very satisfying. It felt like exactly what I wanted to be doing and should be doing.” [Ardency] [Faith]
6. “There were quite a few Westerners who went to train in Thailand at the time. Not all of them made it. What got you through that period of time? What kept you going?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life] [Monastic life/Motivation] [Ajahn Pasanno] // [Ajahn Chah] [Faith] [Truth]
7. “How did you come to be abbot of Wat Pah Nanachat?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Wat Pah Nanachat] [Abbot] [Ajahn Pasanno ] // [Ajahn Sumedho] [Ajahn Jāgaro] [Ajahn Puriso] [Ajahn Brahmavaṃso] [Wat Keuan] [Ajahn Chah]
Follow-up: “How did you feel about it?” [Culture/West] [Fear] [Trust]
8. “As abbot of Wat Pah Nanachat, you were involved in a model reforestation project. How did this come about and what motivated you to promote reforestation in Thailand?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Wat Pah Nanachat] [Environment ] [Ajahn Pasanno] // [Culture/Thailand] [Commerce/economics] [Geography/Thailand] [Food] [Community]
Quote: “It’s not just forest that you want to pay attention to....The villagers need to make a living.” [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support] [Right Livelihood] [Learning]
Quote: “I had good people helping me. It wasn’t just me.”
9. “How did you come to join Ajahn Amaro as co-abbot of the newly established Abhayagiri Monastery in California?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Amaro] [Abbot] [Abhayagiri] [Ajahn Pasanno ] // [Saṅghapāla] [Ajahn Sumedho] [Jack Kornfield] [Elders' Council] [Chithurst]
10. “What was it like establishing a forest monastery with the strict Vinaya of the Forest Tradition in California in the 1990s?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Abhayagiri] [Vinaya] [Thai Forest Tradition] [Culture/West] // [Conscience and prudence] [Trust] [Precepts]
11. “Abhayagiri is not near a major city, but there has been plenty of interest from both laypeople and those wishing to ordain. What do you credit for the sucessful establishment phase of Abhayagiri Monastery?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Abhayagiri] [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support] [Monastic life/Motivation] // [Teaching Dhamma] [Trust] [Thai Forest Tradition] [Vinaya]
Quote: “We are what we say we are. That helps.” [Truth]
12. “How many monastics are there at Abhayagiri right now?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Abhayagiri] [Monastic life]
13. “During your time in the United States, how do you think the knowledge and practice of Buddhism has changed?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Culture/West] [Ajahn Pasanno] // [Abhayagiri] [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support]
14. “In 2018 you stepped away from the role of abbot of Abhayagiri, passing the role to Ajahn Karunadhammo and Ajahn Ñāṇiko. Both these monks are American and have mostly trained in the United States at Abhayagiri. How do you feel about this milestone?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Abhayagiri] [Abbot] [Retirement] [Ajahn Karuṇadhammo] [Ajahn Pasanno ] [Ajahn Ñāṇiko] [History/Western Buddhist monasticism] [Culture/West] // [Monastic life]
15. “You’ve lived a life dedicated to the spiritual quest of a Buddhist monk. What advice would you give to someone who’s starting out on the Eightfold Path and may have an interest in ordaining as a monk or nun?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Spiritual search ] [Monastic life] [Eightfold Path] [Monastic life/Motivation] [Ajahn Pasanno] // [Appropriate attention] [Culture/West] [Perfectionism] [Happiness] [Right Effort] [Patience]
1. “In reference to the fragrance of the flower....There are many roses in the courtyard across the street....Why do we cultivate beauty? Where does beauty arise from?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Beauty] // [Clinging] [Happiness] [Master Hsuan Hua] [Empathetic joy] [Unconditioned]
Sutta: MN 37: Sabbe dhamma nalam abhinivesaya. (Nothing whatsoever should be clung to.)
Story: Ajahn Pasanno’s mother sends his old letters to Abhayagiri. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Abhayagiri]
Recollection: Ajahn Chah was unshakeable in the midst of all the things that were happening around him and responded warmly and compassionately to the people around him. [Ajahn Chah] [Equanimity] [Compassion] [Family] [Monastic life/Motivation]
2. “Did you get a little bit [of Ajahn Chah’s equanimity and warmth]? What’s it like?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Pasanno] // [Monastic life/Motivation]
3. “Is there a plan to publish the letters [that Ajahn Pasanno wrote home during his travels]?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Dhamma books]
4. “I notice that some of the monks at Abhayagiri use social media. As a youngster, I use a lot of social media. You grew up when there was none. What’s your view on how it’s affecting our mind?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Social media] [Monastic life] [Abhayagiri] [Ajahn Pasanno]
5. “I feel that a lot of people are disconnected with the reality world. They don’t have a place of social, and they withdraw themselves and go on the internet. So I think the fundamental problem is people [audio unclear] in this real world. Do you have any comments on how to connect people in the real world so there can be a replacement of social media?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Community] [Social media] [Internet] // [Dhamma online] [Pandemic] [Online community] [Abhayagiri] [Lunar observance days]
Sutta: SN 55.5: Spiritual friendship as a condition for Right View. [Spiritual friendship] [Right View] [Conditionality] [Appropriate attention]
6. Comment: Since the pandemic, I have been in better communication with my family. [Pandemic] [Family] [Internet] [Communal harmony]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Discernment]
7. “What’s the feeling of wearing the same color for 50 years?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life] [Robes] // [Culture/West]
8. “My understanding is that it is not good to indulge the five senses. But is there a way to make that help with your cultivation?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Sense bases] [Sense restraint] // [Appropriate attention] [Discernment] [Skillful qualities] [Unskillful qualities]
Reference: Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 6: Recollection of the Dhamma [Recollection/Dhamma]
Sutta: SN 35.23: The six senses are the all.
Sutta: SN 35.116: A perceiver of the world, a conceiver of the world.
9. “It’s understandable that we crave happiness through the senses. Attaching to a certain type of happiness through the senses is not helpful for cultivation. But there’s also the emphasis on joy in the Buddha’s teachings. So there should be a balance, and where to find that?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Sense bases] [Sensual desire] [Happiness] [Gladdening the mind] // [Four Noble Truths]
Quote: “All the elements of the path are a source of happiness and well-being.” [Eightfold Path]
Follow-up: “What about the joy that comes from enjoying sensual things like music, painting, scents, and water?” [Artistic expression] [Beauty] [Clinging] [Spaciousness]