Part of tag cluster Vinaya in key topic Monastic Life
Subsumes: Monastic precepts
Also a subtag of Tipiṭaka
Subtags: Pāṭimokkha, Confession, Dependence, Sequence of training, Protocols, Not handling money, Rains retreat
79 excerpts, 6:34:34 total duration
“What precepts don’t most people know about that have a big effect on your life?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life] [Vinaya ] // [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support] [Requisites] [Mindfulness] [Communal harmony]
“The Buddha described his teaching as Dhamma-vinaya. Can you explain why it wasn’t just Dhamma? What does this term mean?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Middle Path] [Monastic life] [Dhamma] [Vinaya ] // [Recollection/Buddha]
Reference: Buddhadhamma by P. A. Payutto (available at buddhadhamma.github.io) p. 1659
The Teaching and the Training (2018), Session 1, Excerpt 1
Quote: “He made sense out of monasticism.” — Ajahn Sumedho. [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Sumedho] // [Vinaya ] [Dhamma] [Trust]
Remembering Ajahn Chah Weekend (2001), Session 4, Excerpt 3
“When you were living with Ajahn Chah, were many of his talks more related to the Korwat or practical matters, as opposed to the High Dhamma?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Teaching Dhamma] [Protocols] [Dhamma]
Quote: “There’s not really a separation.” [Vinaya ]
Comment: Ajahn Chah taught to the situation. Contributed by Ajahn Kaccāna. [Learning] [Sequence of training]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Cessation of Suffering] [Practicing in accordance with Dhamma]
Abhayagiri 2014 Winter Retreat, Session 53, Excerpt 1
“What is the role of mentors and teachers in learning to use the monastic form skillfully?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Teachers] [Mentoring ] [Vinaya ] [Monastic life] // [Saṅgha] [Ajahn Chah] [Wat Pah Pong] [Teaching Dhamma] [Long-term practice] [Ajahn Pasanno]
3. Quote: “He made sense out of monasticism.” — Ajahn Sumedho. [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Sumedho] // [Vinaya ] [Dhamma] [Trust]
5. Story: How Ajahn Sumedho met Ajahn Chah. Told by Ajahn Sumedho. [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Sumedho] // [Language] [Military] [Vinaya] [Ordination]
6. How Ajahn Chah taught me. Teaching by Ajahn Sumedho. [Teaching Dhamma] [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Sumedho ] // [Ageing] [Faith] [Happiness] [Vinaya] [Humor] [Self-identity view] [Culture/West] [Goodwill] [Right Effort] [Idealism] [Clinging]
Quote: “It was through example that I really learned.”
7. How would Ajahn Chah fare in England? Teaching by Ajahn Sumedho. [History/Western Buddhist monasticism] [Culture/West] [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Sumedho] // [Respect for elders] [Culture/Thailand] [Vinaya] [Discernment] [Pace of life]
Story: An emergency landing in Rome. [Fear] [Sensual desire]
Story: Ajahn Chah was threatened while walking almsround in London. [Almsround] [Dhamma]
6. Ajahn Chah expected his students to rely on themselves. Recollection by Paul Breiter. [Self-reliance] [Mentoring] [Teaching Dhamma] [Ajahn Chah] // [Vinaya] [Ardency]
1. Reflection by Paul Breiter: How do Ajahn Chah’s teachings apply to lay life? [Lay life ] [Ajahn Chah] // [Monastic life] [Culture/Thailand] [Culture/West]
When I left the monastery, I felt like a skinned cow (SN 12.63). [Similes] [Vinaya]
Story: Ajahn Chah scolds the monks for dreaming about lay life. [Work] [Family] [Commerce/economics] [Renunciation]
1. In the Vinaya (monastic discipline) there’s no role of abbot. Reflection by Ajahn Amaro. [Vinaya] [Abbot] [Saṅgha decision making] [Ajahn Chah] // [Respect] [Confession]
2. “I noticed a monk cutting a tree [in The Buddha Comes to Sussex]. Isn’t that against the Pāṭimokkha?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Pāṭimokkha] [Vinaya] [Chithurst]
3. “How is the relationship between Chithurst Monastery and the local community now? What about other branch monasteries?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Community] [Western Ajahn Chah monasteries] [Chithurst] // [Conflict] [Vinaya] [Almsround] [Goodwill] [Tudong]
17. Quote: “Look at others 10% of the time and look at yourself 90%; that’s about the right measure.” — Ajahn Chah. Quoted by Jack Kornfield. [Ajahn Chah] [Judgementalism ] [Admonishment/feedback] [Discernment] // [Idealism] [Conventions] [Heart/mind] [Vinaya]
Story: Ajahn Chah’s teacher eats sloppily. [Teachers] [Food] [Vinaya] [Suffering]
2. Story: Ajahn Chah visits Seattle. Told by Joseph Kappel. [Ajahn Chah] // [Joseph Kappel] [Family] [Paul Breiter]
Story: Venerable Pabakkaro’s grandmother hugs him at the airport. [Monastic life] [Vinaya]
Story: Ajahn Chah visits Mount Ranier. [Culture/Natural environment]
6. “When we enter this life, everything is so funny.” Reflection by Ajahn Sundarā. [Monastic life] [Humor] // [Ṭhānissarā] [Ajahn Amaro] [Ajahn Sundarā] [Vinaya]
Quote: “It was a hell of a life in the beginning.”
3. Story: Ajahn Chah’s failing heath and Rains Retreat at Tam Saeng Pet. Told by Joseph Kappel. [Sickness] [Health care] [Rains retreat] [Wat Tam Saeng Pet] [Ajahn Chah] // [Wat Pah Pong] [Lodging] [Seclusion] [Generosity] [Joseph Kappel]
Story: “Pabakkaro, make me a Communist.” [Culture/Natural environment] [Medicinal requisites] [Contentment] [Sensual desire]
Story: Venerable Pabakkaro attends to Ajahn Chah. [Upatakh] [Humility]
Story: Ajahn Chah visits the branch monasteries for the last time. [Thai Ajahn Chah monasteries] [Vinaya] [Saṅgha]
1. Reflection by Ajahn Sumedho: The effect of one human being. [Human] [Practicing in accordance with Dhamma] [Kamma] [Ajahn Chah] // [Culture/Thailand] [Liberation] [Conventions] [Vinaya] [Compassion] [Happiness] [Emptiness] [Not-self]
3. Reflection by Ajahn Sumedho: The convention is like a skeleton, but the life comes through the individuals. [Conventions] [Vinaya] [Theravāda] [Ajahn Chah] // [Ajahn Sumedho] [Judgementalism] [Compassion] [Goodwill] [Teachers] [Liberation] [Personality] [Ardency] [Continuity of mindfulness]
1. “In the palm reader story, you mentioned that Ajahn Chah still had a lot of anger, but he chose not to act from it. So does this mean that if there was a troublesome monk, Ajahn Chah would still experience a flare of anger but have the wisdom to set it aside and consider what to do with a cool head? This sounds similar to something Ram Das said about his practice....” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Aversion ] [Discernment] [Ram Dass] [Unwholesome Roots] // [Personality] [Kamma]
Story: Ajahn Jayasaro is massaging Ajahn Chah’s feet when a monk undergoing a disciplinary procedure walks by. [Ajahn Jayasaro] [Vinaya] [Fierce/direct teaching] [Emotion]
Story: Ajahn Pasanno observes Ajahn Mahā Boowa’s fierce behaivor. [Ajahn Mahā Boowa] [Arahant] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Rapture] [Goodwill]
Quote: “You never quite knew...you were always very careful around [Ajahn Chah] because you never knew which side was going to come out. It wasn’t as if he was just playing with you, but he always responded to the situation or the person.” [Heedlessness] [Personal presence] [Teaching Dhamma]
13. “In your opinion, why do you think Mogallana is portrayed in the scriptures as mostly an idiot/unwise and Sariputta is portrayed as wise?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Tipiṭaka] [Great disciples] // [Psychic powers] [Saṅgha] [Conflict] [Mahāyāna] [Personality]
Quote: “But Ānanda, since when has Anuruddha been involved in disciplinary issues in the midst of the Saṅgha?” AN 4.243 [Vinaya]
Story: Moggallāna sees a yakkha clobber Sāriputta. Ud 4.4 [Non-human beings]
13. Reading from the draft biography: Ajahn Chah visits Ajahn Mun. Read by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Mun] [Tudong] [Ajahn Chah ] // [Relics] [Cleanliness] [Perception of a samaṇa] [Personal presence] [Vinaya] [Conscience and prudence] [Teaching Dhamma] [Knowing itself] [Nature of mind] [Conventions] [Unconditioned] [Faith]
Reference: Stillness Flowing by Ajahn Jayasaro, p. 54
1. The tradition of almsround. Reflection by Ajahn Pasanno. [Almsfood] [Almsround] [Generosity] [Almsbowl] // [Ajahn Chah] [Vinaya]
3. “Everyone in our group is struggling with issues about livelihood. Does anyone here feel their livelihood is in tune?” Answered by Ajahn Yatiko and Ajahn Pasanno. [Work] [Idealism] // [Contentment] [Eightfold Path] [Kamma]
Quote: “Maybe it would be better phrased ‘Right-enough livelihood.’” — Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Right Livelihood]
Story: An upright career police officer in Thailand transfers in and out of a corrupt assignment. Told by Ajahn Pasanno. [Community] [Crime] [Corruption] [Family] [Precepts]
Comment by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo: Even monks face moral dillemas. [Monastic life] [Vinaya]
7. Comment about the Buddha developing skills after enlightenment. [Buddha/Biography] [Liberation] [Learning]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Vinaya] [History/Early Buddhism]
2. “Is it possible for an arahant to have seemingly negative thoughts or speech while free from defilement? In the Udana, Venerable Pilindavaccha gets complained about for calling monks outcastes or lowlings.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Arahant] [Unskillful qualities] [Great disciples] [Harsh speech]
Sutta: Ud 3.6: Pilindavaccha.
Quote: “Purity or impurity—you have to know for yourself.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah]
Vinaya: Kd 18.11.14 and Kd 18.12.8.4: Students and teachers are mutually accountable. [Vinaya] [Mentoring]
8. “Isn’t there a story about when Ajahn Chah wanted to give feedback to a senior monk and he waited 20 or 30 years?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Admonishment/feedback] [Right Speech] // [Ajahn Baen] [Vinaya] [Protocols] [Cleanliness]
5. “Are the boundaries between Dhammayut and Mahanikai breaking down?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Thai sects] [Thai Forest Tradition] // [Vinaya]
4. Comment: The story you told where a monk was punched, I really didn’t see the point of that. [Ajahn Jia] [Admonishment/feedback] [Fierce/direct teaching]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Cunda: Enlightened people still have personalities. [Cleanliness] [Liberation] [Personality] [Ajahn Tate] [Spiritual friendship] [Vinaya]
Quote: “Gold wrapped in a dirty rag.” — Ajahn Mahā Boowa describing Ajahn Jia.. [Ajahn Mahā Boowa] [Similes]
Recollection: Ajahn Chah was always the center of attention. [Ajahn Chah] [Personal presence]
Story: Some monks go to spend Vassa with Ajahn Jia, but he leaves to take care of his teacher. Told by Ajahn Cunda. [Rains retreat] [Ajahn Khao]
1. “When you were living with Ajahn Chah, were many of his talks more related to the Korwat or practical matters, as opposed to the High Dhamma?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Teaching Dhamma] [Protocols] [Dhamma]
Quote: “There’s not really a separation.” [Vinaya ]
Comment: Ajahn Chah taught to the situation. Contributed by Ajahn Kaccāna. [Learning] [Sequence of training]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Cessation of Suffering] [Practicing in accordance with Dhamma]
10. Comment by Ajahn Jotipālo: The cold season is over, so we’ve lost our Kaṭhina privileges. [Kaṭhina] [Vinaya]
2. “Were there any other ways in which he tormented you specifically?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Fierce/direct teaching]
Story: Ajahn Chah won’t let Ajahn Pasanno go to a branch monastery to escape the misery of the hot season. [Culture/Natural environment] [Work] [Thai Ajahn Chah monasteries] [Restlessness and worry] [Aversion]
Story: Ajahn Chah calls Ajahn Pasanno lazy. [Pūjā]
Quote: “Do you give up?” — Ajahn Chah to Ajahn Pasanno.. [Vinaya] [Relinquishment]
1. Devotional practice and the context and history of the Thai Forest Tradition. Reflection by Ajahn Pasanno. [Devotional practice] [Culture/Thailand] [Types of monks] [Thai Forest Tradition] // [Vinaya]
4. “What shaped the Thai Forest Tradition and gave it its flavor?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Culture/Thailand] [Thai Forest Tradition] // [Simplicity] [Vinaya] [History/Early Buddhism] [Ajahn Mun] [Attachment to precepts and practices]
2. “Ajahn Lee’s biography contrasts the lives of city and forest monks. Is the lifesytle here (Abhayagiri) similar to the dhutaṅga monks?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Lee Dhammadharo] [Forest versus city monks] [Abhayagiri] [Ascetic practices] // [Vinaya] [Saṅgha] [Culture/Thailand] [Learning] [Merit] [Nibbāna]
11. “Can bhikkhshunis walk tudong?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Bhikkhunī] [Tudong] // [Vinaya] [Sīladharā] [History/Western Buddhist monasticism] [Christianity]
13. “Is the decision to ordain a novice by democratic vote?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Sequence of training] [Abhayagiri] [Saṅgha] [Saṅgha decision making] // [Vinaya] [History/Early Buddhism]
15. “How often does the community reject someone who wants to go forth?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Sequence of training] [Abhayagiri] [Saṅgha] [Saṅgha decision making] // [Vinaya]
16. “May I ask for your secret? [Why is Abhayagiri monastic training so often successful?]” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Sequence of training] [Abhayagiri] [Monastic life] // [Theravāda] [Simplicity] [Vinaya] [Culture/Thailand] [Ajahn Chah] [Middle Path] [Ajahn Mahā Boowa] [History/Western Buddhist monasticism] [Right Effort] [Compassion]
12. “My heart really wanted to serve you and the rest of the Sangha food today (of all days—Thanksgiving) out of gratitude and also because I thought that food had to be directly placed in the alms bowl of a monk in order for it to be consumed. So can you please give us a quick guide on the Vinaya rules regarding the offering of food and other things / requisites to monks? Thank you for your explanation so we can better serve the Sangha.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Gratitude] [Almsfood ] [Food] [Vinaya] [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support] // [Almsbowl] [Abhayagiri]
Story: Ajahn Ñāṇiko walks tudong from Fort Bragg. [Ajahn Ñāṇiko] [Tudong] [Lodging] [Weather]
5. “Are psychic powers and wisdom always clearly separated?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Psychic powers ] [Discernment] // [Buddha/Biography] [Great disciples] [Vinaya] [Admonishment/feedback]
Vinaya: Kd 15.8: Piṇḍola Bhāradvāja uses psychic powers.
Reference: Dipa Ma: The Life and Legacy of a Buddhist Master by Amy Schmidt (commercial). [Dipa Ma]
10. Comment: Sīla requires quite a bit of thinking. [Virtue] [Directed thought and evaluation]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Vinaya] [Arahant]
Sutta: AN 3.86: An arahant can commit offenses.
15. Story: Ajahn Pasanno’s tudong in India with Ajahn Jayasaro. Told by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Ajahn Jayasaro] [Culture/India] [Tudong] // [Impermanence] [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support] [Not handling money] [Hinduism] [Islam] [Lodging] [Trust] [Almsround] [Visiting holy sites] [Compassion] [Devotional practice]
Story: An Indian Kshetriya notices that Ajahn Pasanno’s etiquitte matches his training. [Vinaya] [Buddha/Biography]
Story: Ajahn Jayasaro tries to explain cricket to Ajahn Pasanno. [Recreation/leisure/sport]
4. “Could you speak a little about the structure of the Pali Canon? How much was written down in the Buddha’s time?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Tipiṭaka] [History/Early Buddhism] [Dhamma books] // [Culture/India] [Memory] [Chanting] [Vinaya] [Sutta] [Abhidhamma]
3. Story: Ajahn Sucitto’s explanation of saṅghakamma redefines the focus of Saṅghapāla Foundation. Told by Debbie Stamp. [Ajahn Sucitto] [Vinaya] [Saṅghapāla] // [Ajahn Amaro]
13. “When you’re living on the precepts, how do I relate to (for example) a friend who tells me about an affair they are having?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Jotipālo. [Precepts] [Spiritual friendship] [Sexual misconduct] // [Skillful qualities] [Admonishment/feedback] [Discernment] [Right Speech] [Vinaya] [Abhayagiri]
Quote: “Don’t admonish your fellow monks before the meal.” — Ajahn Chah. Quoted by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Monastic life] [Food] [Eating after noon]
13. “I remember reading some stories of Ajahn Chah teaching lay people about herbal medicines. I know some Tibetan monks practice medicine. Is there such a tradition in Thailand? Are there any stores of Ajahn Chah healing people physically with traditional medicines?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Health care] [Medicinal requisites ] [Culture/Thailand] // [Thai Forest Tradition] [History/Thai Buddhism] [Vinaya] [Right Livelihood] [Almsfood]
Recollection: Walking around the forest with Ajahn Chah. [Culture/Natural environment]
Story: Bung Wai villagers walk to Wat Pah Pong to practice meditation all night on Wan Phra. [Wat Pah Nanachat] [Wat Pah Pong] [Lunar observance days] [Monastic routine] [Meditation]
Story: Por Am argues with Ajahn Chah for three days. [Doubt] [Precepts]
Story: Ajahn Chah teaches Por Am to be a herbal doctor so he can keep the precepts.
Recollection: The hunter-gatherer culture of Northeast Thailand. [Food] [Killing] [Geography/Thailand]
12. “It’s a common phrase: “If you see the Buddha on the road, kill him.” Obviously it’s using hyperbole for effect but I think it means to trust only in your own experience. At what point do the guidelines and precepts leave off and the way to proceed on findings begins? I know it’s not a linear path, but I’d appreciate your thoughts.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Direct experience] [Precepts] [Trust] [Long-term practice] // [Zen] [Vinaya] [Dhamma] [Relinquishment] [Middle Path]
Quote: “The Vinaya and the precepts are for holding on, and the Dhamma is for letting go. When you learn how to balance those two, then you will be free from dukkha.” — Ajahn Chah to Ajahn Sumedho. [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Sumedho] [Vinaya] [Liberation]
2. “How closely do you and the other monks live together?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] [Abhayagiri] // [Ajahn Chah] [Communal harmony ] [Vinaya] [Seclusion] [Culture/West] [Culture/Thailand] [Monastic routine]
Quote: “Human beings. Those are beings with issues.” — Ajahn Chah. [Human] [Conflict]
17. “Have you broken any precepts where only you know if you broke them?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Vinaya] [Ajahn Pasanno] // [Right Speech]
Story: Ajahn Pasanno’s uncle offers him alchohol. [Intoxicants] [Vinaya] [Truth]
22. Comment: Some of the things that monastics avoid due to their precepts can be really beautiful. [Monastic life] [Vinaya]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno.
28. “What precepts don’t most people know about that have a big effect on your life?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life] [Vinaya ] // [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support] [Requisites] [Mindfulness] [Communal harmony]
29. “Do monastics talk with each other about the precepts they have broken or having wrong thoughts?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life] [Vinaya] [Saṅgha] [Christianity] // [Pāṭimokkha] [Confession] [Rains retreat] [Learning] [Abhayagiri] [Faith]
1. “The Buddha described his teaching as Dhamma-vinaya. Can you explain why it wasn’t just Dhamma? What does this term mean?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Middle Path] [Monastic life] [Dhamma] [Vinaya ] // [Recollection/Buddha]
Reference: Buddhadhamma by P. A. Payutto (available at buddhadhamma.github.io) p. 1659
2. “In order to come to the training as Westerners, we often had to not follow cultural traditions and authorities. Monastic life has so many rules and the traditions are well established. How do we switch gears?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Culture/West] [Attachment to precepts and practices] [Monastic life] [Dhamma] [Vinaya] // [Recollection/Dhamma] [Faith]
3. “How do we expand our faith into other aspects of training?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Faith] [Monastic life] [Dhamma] [Vinaya] // [Dependent origination] [Recollection/Buddha] [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Liem]
4. “Is vinaya about taking responsibility for your actions and mental states and how that affects other people?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life] [Dhamma] [Vinaya] // [Dependent origination] [Recollection/Buddha]
5. “Can you talk about skillful means to become more sensitive to the nuances of monastic training?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life] [Dhamma] [Vinaya] // [Requisites] [Mindfulness] [Respect for elders] [Upatakh]
1. “Why are the precepts worded as things not to do rather than as aspirations?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Precepts ] [Vinaya] // [Dhamma]
Quote: “You can’t mandate goodness.” [Vinaya]
2. “How does the Vinaya encourage monks to keep rules?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Vinaya] [Monastic life] // [Dhamma]
3. “What is the role of confession and other tools for recifying offenses?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Vinaya] [Confession] // [Ajahn Chah] [Volition] [Kamma] [Dhamma]
9. “When the suttas describe a practitioner as “having gone beyond doubt,” (e.g. DN 3) what do they mean?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Doubt] [Sutta] // [Four Noble Truths] [Teaching Dhamma] [Ajahn Chah]
Story: An Ajahn Chah monk accused of a heavy offense. [Vinaya]
1. “What is the role of mentors and teachers in learning to use the monastic form skillfully?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Teachers] [Mentoring ] [Vinaya ] [Monastic life] // [Saṅgha] [Ajahn Chah] [Wat Pah Pong] [Teaching Dhamma] [Long-term practice] [Ajahn Pasanno]
3. “Two questions: 1) What strengths do you see in other Buddhist traditions and Western culture that our tradition could benefit from? 2) How have you decided which aspects of korwat (protocols) from Thailand to adjust and which to maintain?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Mahāyāna] [Vajrayāna] [Culture/West] [Culture/Thailand] [Monastic life] [Vinaya] [Protocols] // [Abhayagiri] [Women in Buddhism] [Robes] [Cultural context] [City of Ten Thousand Buddhas] [Dōgen] [Zen] [Ajahn Sumedho] [History/Western Buddhism] [Simplicity] [Christianity] [Renunciation] [Eight Precepts] [Not handling money] [Chithurst] [Ajahn Amaro] [Communal harmony]
Quote: “There are so many good things to do that you could be running around the country doing good things. I’d rather focus my attention here.” [Pace of life]
Quote: “There’s no reason to fit into American culture.”
Story: The monastic jacket is vindicated in England. [Culture/Natural environment] [History/Western Buddhist monasticism]
Quote: “As Buddhist monastics and Buddhist practitioners, we’re trying to set conditions that give us the opportunity for learning.” [Lay life] [Learning]
1. “How does upatakhing fit into our training and what can we learn from it?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Upatakh] [Vinaya] [Respect for elders] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] // [Culture/Thailand] [Conceit] [Generosity] [Protocols] [Discernment] [Mindfulness]
Vinaya: Cv 8: Vattakkhandhaka - Protocols
Story: Ajahn Lee upataks Ajahn Mun. [Ajahn Mun] [Ajahn Lee Dhammadharo]
8. “Does the proper timing of admonishment depend on the severity of the offense?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Admonishment/feedback] [Vinaya] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha]
9. “When and how should one respond to offenses of middling severity?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Admonishment/feedback] [Vinaya] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha]
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
11. “Is refining the Five Precepts sufficient for lay practice to be transformative?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Five Precepts] [Lay life] [Ajahn Chah] // [Vinaya] [Mindfulness] [Right Intention] [Relinquishment] [Compassion] [Truth]
12. “When you weren’t getting enough food, had you been older and smarter, would you have been able, as a monk, to ask for vegetables?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Monastic life] [Health] [Vinaya] [Almsfood] // [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support] [Generosity]
3. “According to the first precept, how would you look at the case of abortion?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Killing] [Abortion] // [Vinaya] [Politics and society] [Judgementalism] [Health care]
6. Comment: I’m concerned about how much time people spend on computers, and I think it’s sad that people use electronic devices rather than talk with each other. [Technology] [Community]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno.
Follow-up: “Should I say anything to my son who is on his device half the time during his brief, infrequent visits?” [Children] [Right Speech]
Story: Abhayagiri’s computer policy for monks. [Abhayagiri] [Social media] [Sense restraint] [Vinaya]
2. Reflection by Ajahn Amaro: Affinities between the communities of Ajahn Sumedho and Master Hsuan Hua. [Ajahn Sumedho] [Master Hsuan Hua ] // [City of Ten Thousand Buddhas] [Mahāyāna] [Vinaya] [Ascetic practices] [Elders' Council] [Abhayagiri]
Story: Master Hua invites Ajahn Sumedho to help conduct an ordination ceremony at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. [Ordination]
Story: Ajahn Sumedho invites Master Hua to the English monasteries.
13. Reflection by Ajahn Ñāṇiko: The pulse of the year at Abhayagiri and the annual Vassa Vinaya studies. [Monastic life] [Rains retreat] [Vinaya] [Learning] [Abhayagiri ] // [Protocols] [Not handling money] [Kaṭhina] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Meditation retreats]
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]
2. Reflection by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo: The Buddha laid down practical guidelines for monastics living in community. [Buddha/Biography] [Saṅgha] [Vinaya] [Protocols] [Communal harmony] // [Teaching Dhamma]
9. Principle of Cordiality #5: Ethical behaivor and respect. Teaching by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Principles of Cordiality] [Vinaya] [Respect] [Communal harmony]
Sutta: MN 48: Kosambi Sutta.
13. Reviewing knowledge #4: Immediately acknowledging our mistakes. Teaching by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Confession] [Vinaya] [Communal harmony] // [Pāṭimokkha] [Abhayagiri]
Sutta: MN 48: Kosambi Sutta.
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]
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]
5. “How is suicide reconciled with the First Precept, the precept against taking life?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Suicide] [Killing] // [Vinaya]
Sutta: MN 144: Channovāda Sutta.
7. Reflection by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo: First and foremost, this is a training monastery. [Monastic life] [Abhayagiri] // [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support] [Truth] [Vinaya]