Includes tags: Mutual lay/Saṅgha support, Almsround
1. “How did Ajahn Chah relate to the lay community around him and tailor the Dharma to their own circumstances?” Answered by Ajahn Sumedho and Ṭhānissarā. [Lay life ] [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support] [Ajahn Chah] [Teaching Dhamma]
Story: Thai villagers tell Ajahn Sumedho that they never understood Buddhism until they met Luang Por Chah. Told by Ajahn Sumedho. [Culture/Thailand] [Ajahn Sumedho] [Hearing the true Dhamma] [Monastic life] [Generosity] [Meditation] [Community] [Family] [Mindfulness]
Quote: “He didn’t respond to the external cues but went to the heart and grabbed you in that way.” — Ṭhānissarā [Conventions] [Fierce/direct teaching] [Not-self]
2. “When you and other Western seekers went to Thailand [and returned to teach], are the teachings of lay and monastic disciples of Ajahn Chah the same or different? How can we as laypeople relate to the teachings and tradition of the monastic establishment?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Teaching Dhamma] [Ajahn Chah lineage] [Lay teachers] [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support] [Ajahn Chah] // [History/Thai Buddhism] [Military] [History/Western Buddhist monasticism] [Ajahn Sumedho] [Virtue] [Right View]
Story: Abhayagiri’s bell is an American bomb casing. [Abhayagiri]
Diligent lay meditators attend Wat Pah Pong’s all-night vigil on the lunar observance days. Recollection by Ajahn Pasanno. [Lay life] [Ardency] [Wat Pah Pong] [Devotion to wakefulness] [Lunar observance days]
12. “If I saw you and the monks walking down the streets of Fairfax, I’m not sure I would know what to do. How should I approach you?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support] [Almsround] [Tudong] // [Almsbowl] [Almsfood] [Not handling money]
4. “Why did conflict between the sects break out on almsround?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Thai sects] [Conflict] [Almsround] // [Culture/Thailand]
2. “There were a number of different alms routes out of Wat Pah Pong. How was it decided who went on each one and how was the food distributed for the meal?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Wat Pah Pong] [Almsround] [Almsfood] [Saṅgha decision making] // [Wat Pah Nanachat] [Ajahn Liem]
Discussion of almsfood distribution at different monasteries. Led by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Pesalo. [Ajahn Tongrat] [Wat Pah Ban Tat]
Story: Ajahn Pasanno helped pass out food at Wat Pah Pong. [Ajahn Pasanno]
Story: Ajahn Tongrat exposes a monk concealing fish in his ball of sticky rice. [Food] [Admonishment/feedback]
Comments by Ajahn Pesalo and Ajahn Pasanno about food distribution at Wat Baan Tat. [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support]
Quote: “It’s incredibly tiresome how organized we [Westerners] have to be....Organic spontaneity–that’s how things work in Thailand.” [Culture/West] [Culture/Thailand]
6. “Did the alms routes stay the same over the years?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Wat Pah Pong] [Almsround]
7. “Do you try to pass most of the houses in the village?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Wat Pah Pong] [Almsround] // [Culture/Thailand] [Culture/West]
8. “You’d have one village supporting more than one monastery, is that right?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Almsround] // [Forest versus city monks] [Wat Pah Nanachat]
9. “How many villages are around Poo Jom Gom?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Poo Jum Gom] [Almsround]
7. “So it’s pretty rare to get food every day when you’re on a walk?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Tudong] [Almsround] // [Impermanence]
8. “Do you have to educate the local people about almsround when you go on tudong?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Tudong] [Almsround] // [Robes] [Culture/West] [Not handling money]
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]
8. “In one of Ajahn Amaro’s first tudongs in England, the laypeople often knew where he was going to be. Is that accepted in Thailand?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Amaro] [History/Western Buddhism] [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support] [Culture/Thailand] [Tudong] // [Culture/Natural environment]
8. “Is one of the benefits of being a monastic having to live up to people’s expectations?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Monastic life] [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support] [Robes] [Buddhist identity] // [Conventions] [Christianity] [Idealism] [Culture/West] [Culture/Thailand]
22. “Going on alms round, especially in the US, seems like a very noble, patient practice. Would you speak more of what happens when monastics go for alms for the first time in an American town like Ukiah or in Oregon? When people have no idea what you are doing, and you can’t ask for anything, what happens? Did the monastics go hungry the first few times? Do you explain to people? Do you bless everyone with a chant who gives you food?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Almsround ] [Culture/West] // [Abhayagiri] [Generosity] [Not handling money]
Story: The bakery on State Street offers food to the Abhayagiri monks every week. [Almsround ]
Story: The monks at Pacific Hermitage go almsround every day. [Pacific Hermitage] [Ajahn Sudanto] [Almsround ] [Monastic routine]
Story: Ajahn Ñāṇiko and Tan Ṭhitabho walked from Abhayagiri to Pacific Hermitage. Only once did they not receive food on almsround. [Ajahn Ñāṇiko] [Tudong] [Almsround ]
1. “What meaningful impact do Buddhist monks have on the community?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life] [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support ] [Community] [Saṅgha] // [Culture/West] [Culture/Thailand] [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Wat Pah Nanachat] [Lunar observance days] [Abhayagiri]
Story: Ajahn Pasanno’s first visit to Wat Pah Pong. [Wat Pah Pong] [Temporary ordination] [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support ] [Thai Ajahn Chah monasteries]
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]