Part of key topic Skillful Qualities
82 excerpts, 5:02:03 total duration
4. “Would you say a bit about the benefits of practicing loving-kindness during the dying process, both for the one who is dying as well as for the caregiver?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Goodwill] [Death] [Health care] // [Gladdening the mind] [Fear] [Clear comprehension] [Energy] [Community]
Quote: “These bodies are really high maintenance when they don’t work.” [Sickness]
Recollection: Ajahn Chah was unable to look after himself for the last nine years of his life. [Ajahn Chah] [Respect for elders] [Wat Pah Pong] [Gratitude]
11. “Thank you for your uplifting and encouraging talks. My husband died 6 months ago. Could you give suggestions for how to contemplate anicca and anatta in the context of his life, illness, and death? I’m aware of aversion to the pain of losing him. I do want to learn from all this.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Impermanence] [Not-self] [Sickness] [Death] [Relationships] [Aversion] [Suffering ] // [Naturalness] [Grief] [Gratitude] [Merit] [Compassion]
7. “I have another question about balance. LP Baen encouraged his monks to admonish each other, but Ajahn Chah said to put 90% of your attention on your self and only 10% on other people?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Baen] [Admonishment/feedback] [Ajahn Chah] // [Culture/Thailand] [Culture/West]
Quote: “If someone criticizes you, then you should raise your hands in añjāli and say ‘Sadhu!’ because you don’t have to hire them to do it for you!” — Ajahn Chah. [Respect] [Gratitude]
3. “Is walking meditation as ‘good’ as sitting meditation. Can one achieve the level of undistractedness that one needs to be able to investigate the human experience? Or is it part of the bigger picture of mindfulness for seven full days to experience stream entry?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Posture/Walking] [Posture/Sitting] [Insight meditation] [Stream entry] // [Meditation/General advice] [Continuity of mindfulness] [Concentration]
Stories about Ajahn Khao. [Ajahn Khao ]
Story: Walking meditation was Ajahn Khao’s preferred mode of practice. [Ajahn Khao ]
Story: Ajahn Khao’s relics were purple, clear, and incredibly beautiful. [Ajahn Khao ] [Relics] [Abhayagiri]
Recollection: Ajahn Khao expresses gratitude for the place he realized Awakening. [Ajahn Khao ] [Liberation] [Gratitude] [Lodging] [Bodhi Tree]
5. “The guidance through seeing the non-self in relationship to the elements was very helpful. Can you explain what to look for in order to see the non self in relationship to strong emotions like grief. When do you look for the emptiness in emotions and when do you experience or express them. How does one balance the two?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Not-self] [Elements] [Emotion ] [Grief ]
Ajahn Pasanno reflects on his feelings after Ajahn Chah died. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Ajahn Chah] [Death] [Sickness] [Gratitude] [Respect]
Ajahn Pasanno’s response to his father’s death. [Parents] [Spaciousness]
2. “I have a cancer and finished my treatment and am afraid it will come back if I don’t take care of myself as doctor told. So it is my stress. How can I think about my stress to hold it in my mind?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Sickness ] [Suffering] [Fear] // [Happiness] [Gratitude]
1. “How do you deal with attachment to relationships? My dad has cancer and may possibly not be here next year.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Clinging] [Family] // [Parents] [Birth] [Impermanence] [Gratitude]
1. “How can those just entering monastic life lay a good foundation?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life] // [Vinaya] [Right View] [Ajahn Chah] [Virtue] [Stream entry] [Four Noble Truths] [Kamma] [Generosity] [Greed] [Communal harmony] [Happiness] [Gratitude]
Sutta: SN 55.1: Sīla of a stream enterer
Sutta: MN 117: The Great Forty
13. “I live with my 96-year old mother. Her mind is quite good, but her body is ageing and there is pain in both legs. She has a stubborn will to carry on. We have our fights, but get through them quickly. I’m wanting to go to another level to develop patience. Can you comment?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ageing] [Parents] [Pain] [Patience] // [Empathetic joy] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Relinquishment] [Gratitude] [Idealism]
Quote: “Even monks have mothers.”
1. “Do you feel metta is to be developed or do you feel metta is just an outcome of your life and your practice?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Goodwill] [Right Effort] [Conditionality] // [Meditation] [Precepts] [Calming meditation] [Suffering] [Aversion] [Appropriate attention] [Gratitude]
3. Comment: Coming out af a long-term relationship where someone was killed in an accident after 42 years, the way you presented the disadvantages and advantages of a conventional loving relationship was perhaps a little light on the advantages. [Relationships ] [Death] // [Monastic life/Motivation] [Gratitude] [Long-term practice] [Suffering] [Courage]
Response by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Saṅgha] [Saṃsāra] [Spiritual urgency]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Buddha/Biography] [Ageing] [Rebirth] [Treasures]
Reference: AN 4.55: Nakula’s mother and father aspire to see each other in this life and the next.
13. “How to balance the practice of removing attachments but maintain responsibilities of caregiving to children or ageing parents?” Answered by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Clinging] [Relinquishment] [Family] [Parents] [Ageing] // [Gratitude]
6. “In your guided meditation, devotion to the teachings really touched me. Could you say more about this?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Devotional practice] [Recollection/Dhamma ] [Generosity] [Compassion] [Sutta] [Buddha/Biography] // [Faith] [Cultural context] [Respect] [Gratitude] [Culture/Thailand] [Three Refuges] [Relinquishment] [Release]
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]
3. “Have you ever regretted choosing the monastic life? Has your mother ever thought you made a wrong choice?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Monastic life/Motivation] [Doubt] [Parents] // [Gratitude] [Retirement] [Energy] [Mentoring] [Christianity] [Abhayagiri]
Reflections on leadership. [Leadership ] [Ajahn Chah] [Abbot] [Wat Pah Nanachat] [Discernment]
Quote: “You can’t lead just by telling people what to do and they are going to obey. Forget it!” [Leadership ]
Quote: “Everybody else is a mirror for oneself if one is willing to learn in teaching or leading others.” [Leadership ] [Learning]
3. “Does the concept of refuge in Buddhism contain an element of grace?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Three Refuges ] [Theravāda] [Hinduism] // [Relinquishment] [Knowing itself] [Truth]
Quote: “Did you come here to die?” — Ajahn Chah’s greeting to newcomers.. [Ajahn Chah] [Death] [Liberation] [Self-identity view]
Quote: “If you really understood refuge in Buddha, Dhamma, and Saṅgha, there wouldn’t be a time when you bowed without bursting into tears of gratitude and devotion.” [Bowing ] [Gratitude] [Ajahn Jayasaro]