Includes tags: Right Mindfulness, Ardency, Clear comprehension
See also: Mindfulness
8. “I’m not sure in the context of this retreat when to be resting simply with the four foundations of mindfulness and when to be reciting metta phrases. Can you please advise as to how/when to skillfully move from one practice to the other?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Right Mindfulness] [Goodwill] [Mantra] // [Emotion] [Sloth and torpor] [Mindfulness of body] [Calming meditation] [Discernment]
Sutta: MN 19: Dvedhāvitakka Sutta [Directed thought and evaluation] [Skillful qualities]
1. “Realized beings abound these days. Care to comment? When the conditions are conducive and the inquiry is in earnest, is it possible to wake up quickly?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Stages of awakening] [Saṅgha] [Progress of insight] [Ardency] [Conditionality] // [Patience] [Ajahn Pasanno]
Quote: “Buddhism hasn’t come to America yet.” — Ajahn Chah [Ajahn Chah] [Culture/West] [Insight Meditation Society]
4. “What is the difference between mindfulness, bare attention, and clear comprehension? Can you flesh out the word understanding?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Mindfulness] [Direct experience] [Clear comprehension] // [Right Effort] [Discernment] [Right Mindfulness] [Ardency] [Investigation of states] [Mindfulness of breathing] [Greed] [Aversion]
Sutta: MN 118: Ānāpānasati Sutta
1. “Could you elaborate on how the Four Foundations of Mindfulness are analogous to the first jhāna? How does this differ from second jhāna?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Right Mindfulness] [Jhāna] [Gradual Teaching] // [Directed thought and evaluation]
22. Comments about thinking versus feeling out the quality of the heart in decision making. [Directed thought and evaluation] [Mindfulness of mind] [Discernment] [Clear comprehension] [Right Livelihood]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno.
5. “What is your take on satisfaction, being in tune, and stagnation?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Contentment] [Energy] [Ardency] // [Skillful qualities] [Discernment] [Buddha/Biography] [Spiritual search] [Right Effort]
Sutta: AN 2.5: Effort and noncontentment with wholesome states. [Ardency]
Story: The Thai government made it illegal for monks to teach contentment. [History/Thai Buddhism] [Monastic life] [Teaching Dhamma]
Comment about the simile of the lute. [Middle Path] [Similes]
Sutta: AN 6.55: Soṇa Sutta
8. “I appreciate your emphasis on clarity, stability, and spaciousness. How does concentration relate to these?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Clear comprehension] [Unification] [Spaciousness] [Concentration] // [Pāli] [Thai] [Etymology] [Tranquility] [Happiness] [Rapture] [Conditionality]
Suttas: AN 10.3: Virtuous Behaivor; AN 6.10 Mahānāma [Virtue]
Quote: “The way my mind worked before was, ‘Boy, when I get my concentration together, I’m going to be happy...’” [Ajahn Pasanno]
Quote: “The happy mind is easily concentrated.” [Hindrances] [Relinquishment] [Knowledge and vision]
12. “You mentioned that Ajahn Chah stated that samadhi should be accompanied by alertness. Does this mean that Jhana should not be a ‘zoned out’ state?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Right Concentration] [Clear comprehension] [Jhāna]
3. “Was Ajahn Ñāṇadhammo’s experience of being pushed unusual for Western monks?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Ñāṇadhammo] [Fierce/direct teaching] [Culture/West] [Ardency] [Ajahn Chah] [Suffering]
Jack Kornfield’s recollections of Ajahn Chah at Insight Meditation Society. Recounted by Ajahn Jotipālo. [Jack Kornfield] [Insight Meditation Society] [Meditation retreats]
6. “Could that “quality of knowing” be a variation on the teaching of sati-sampajañña, mindfulness and clear comprehension?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Mindfulness] [Clear comprehension] // [Discernment]
10. “The suttas say ‘The wise protect their diligence as their greatest treasure.’ How does one protect one’s diligence?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Heedfulness] [Ardency] [Death] // [Sickness] [Mindfulness] [Discernment] [Mindfulness of mind] [Right Effort] [Happiness] [Spaciousness]
5. “In your ānāpānasati talks, you talk about sikkhita, defined as…to train, and to learn from. I’m not sure how active to be because when I train, I have a goal in mind, but when I learn from…I’m more relaxed and open to what is revealed. Similar, today with mindfulness defined as…looking after something, I’m not sure how to point the compass without coming from self view. Thank you.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Right Mindfulness] [Mindfulness of breathing] [Right Effort] [Self-identity view]
8. “A scientist—popular, interesting—said as parting shot to his audience, ‘don’t trust the senses,’ i.e., we’d still think the world flat, and that the sun actually rises and sets, if we trusted the sensory world. Your thoughts on clear comprehension via ‘sense-doors?’ The ‘just-rightness’ of it all. I wonder if we still thought the world flat and the sun to rise whether we might care for it.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Sense bases] [Science] [Clear comprehension]
2. “With all of many excellent frames of reference the Buddha has given us to understand our experience, it can be confusing to know which to use when! Do you recommend training systematically or letting ones intuition be as their guide? Thank you.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Right Mindfulness] [Intuition]
11. “Should I focus on one object of mindfulness at a time or can I be mindful of all 4 at one time? Thank you!” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Right Mindfulness] // [Proliferation] [Simplicity] [Happiness]
20. “Can you clarify (and simplify!) the four frames of reference? I have read Ven. Thanissaro’s book and it’s pretty challenging to remember from one paragraph to the next as it is so wonderfully dense. In particular, four frames especially as it pertains to mindfulness of breathing? Thank you!” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Right Mindfulness ] [Ajahn Ṭhānissaro] [Mindfulness of breathing]
Reference: Right Mindfulness by Ajahn Ṭhānissaro
1. Comment: Venerable Analayo points out that present moment awareness and remembering the past are not mutually exclusive. [Present moment awareness] [Ven. Analayo] [Right Mindfulness]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno.
References: Satipaṭṭhāna: The Direct Path to Realization by Venerable Analayo, Chapter 3; “On some definitions of Mindfulness,” Rupert Gethim, Contemporary Buddhism Vol. 12, No. 1, May 2011.
2. “How can one be mindful of the beginning of thought?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno, Ajahn Kaccāna and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Directed thought and evaluation] [Mindfulness] [Right Mindfulness] // [Appropriate attention] [Perception] [Proliferation]
Comments about observing proliferating thoughts. [Conditionality] [Right Effort] [Restlessness and worry] [Mindfulness of mind]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Mindfulness of breathing] [Feeling]
Sutta: MN 118 Ānāpānasati Sutta.
3. “Could you clarify the last two foundations of mindfulness?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Mindfulness of mind] [Mindfulness of dhammas] [Right Mindfulness] // [Heart/mind] [Directed thought and evaluation] [Emotion]
4. “Could you clarify “the body in the body?”” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Mindfulness of body] [Right Mindfulness] // [Translation] [Pāli] [Ajahn Ṭhānissaro] [Direct experience] [Self-identity view]
References: Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 91; Right Mindfulness by Ajahn Ṭhānissaro. [Elements] [Proliferation] [Perception]
1. Comment: The phrase “ancestral territory” [mentioned in SN 47.6] doesn’t carry oomph for (non-Native) Americans. Contributed by Ajahn Kaccāna. [Culture/West] [Culture/Native American] [Right Mindfulness]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Technology] [History/America]
2. “Why is the intellect not included in the five cords of sensual pleasure?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Sense bases] [Sensual desire] [Right Mindfulness] // [Culture/West] [History] [Culture/Thailand] [Craving]
Sutta: SN 47.6-7.
Follow-up: “Are the pīti and sukha of samādhi considered mano (intellect) states?” [Rapture] [Happiness] [Concentration] [Aversion]
3. “Why doesn’t the passage (SN 47.7) mention obsession with painful objects?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Desire] [Aversion] [Right Mindfulness]
4. “Could it be that the five cords of sensual pleasure need an outside stimulus to be activated while the mind is an internal frame of reference?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Sensual desire] [Sense bases] [Heart/mind] [Right Mindfulness] // [Craving] [Concentration]
Sutta: MN 137: Replacing sensual pleasure with the pleasure of samādhi.
1. “If you observe that you are angry, do you use effort to abandon anger or just watch it?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Aversion] [Right Effort] [Right Mindfulness]
2. “Does the term mindfulness always imply right mindfulness?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Mindfulness] [Right Mindfulness] // [Abhidhamma] [Aggregates]
Reference: Right Mindfulness p. 21-22
4. “What is a plowshare? ...So mindfulness is both the goad and the plowshare?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Mindfulness] [Similes] [Right Mindfulness]
Reference: Sn 1.4: The Farmer Bhāradvāja
5. “How does mindfulness relate to choice?” (continuing the anger question) Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Volition] [Aversion] [Mindfulness] [Right Effort] [Right Mindfulness] // [Discernment] [Language]
6. Comments by Abhayagiri Saṅgha about the nature of practice. [Forgiveness] [Similes] [Aversion] [Right Mindfulness]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Habits] [Idealism] [Patience] [Ajahn Chah] [Goodwill] [Long-term practice]
Comment: Patience remind me of going through deep grief. Contributed by Beth Steff. [Grief]
7. Quote: “Do you still have anger?” “Yes, but I don’t take it.” — Ajahn Dune. Quoted by Debbie Stamp. [Ajahn Dune] [Aversion] [Right Mindfulness]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Arahant]
Follow-up: “Do we know if the Buddha had anger?” [Buddha] [Tipiṭaka]
Comment: Māra came to the Buddha many times after the Buddha’s enlightenment. Contributed by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Māra] [Buddha/Biography]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Idealism] [Culture/West]
1. “What are the rewards for the skillful monk?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life] [Skillful qualities] [Right Mindfulness] // [Happiness] [Mindfulness] [Clear comprehension] [Concentration]
Sutta: SN 47.8: Simile of the skillful cook. [Similes] [Similes]
Story: Ajahn Mun criticizes Ajahn Mahā Boowa for developing meditation like a tree stump. [Ajahn Mun] [Ajahn Mahā Boowa] [Admonishment/feedback]
2. Outline of AN 4.41 Samādhibhāvanā: Four types of concentration. Teaching by Ajahn Pasanno. [Concentration] [Right Mindfulness] // [Psychic powers] [Mindfulness] [Clear comprehension] [Liberation] [Outflows] [Perception of light] [Impermanence] [Aggregates]
Comment about the difference between the third and fourth developments of concentration. [Conditionality]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Self-identity view]
3. “What does Ajahn Geoff mean by “frames of reference?”” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Ṭhānissaro] [Right Mindfulness]
4. “What does “know the mind as mind; know feeling as feeling” mean?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Right Mindfulness] [Relinquishment] // [Proliferation]
Comment: Self-view forms around the feeling from sense contact. [Sense bases] [Contact] [Feeling] [Self-identity view]
Sutta: MN 18: Madhupiṇḍika Sutta, The Honeyball.
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Volitional formations] [Perception]
Sutta: MN 118: Ānāpānasati Sutta. [Mindfulness of breathing]
1. “In Right Mindfulness, Ajahn Ṭhānissaro focuses on how the first three tetrads apply to high states of concentation. How can these be useful in more mundane levels of meditation?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Right Mindfulness] [Mindfulness of breathing] [Jhāna] // [Investigation of states] [Rapture] [Volitional formations] [Heart/mind]
Commentary: Path of Purification by Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli, p. 137: Five levels of pīti.
1. “Can you speak about when to use which aspects of satipatthāna?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Right Mindfulness] [Mindfulness of breathing] // [Right Effort]
3. “Are the Four Frames of Reference the same as the Four Foundations of Mindfulness?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Right Mindfulness] [Translation] // [Bhikkhu Bodhi] [Ajahn Ṭhānissaro]
1. “I’ve been struggling with sleepiness while trying to meditate, having the intention to be present and aware, but finding myself dozing off.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Sloth and torpor] [Clear comprehension] [Meditation retreats] // [Conditionality] [Lay life] [Craving not to become] [Directed thought and evaluation]
Story: Ajahn Boon Choo meditates through tiredness after staying up for days. [Ajahn Boon Choo] [Kaṭhina] [Wat Pah Pong] [Energy] [Devotion to wakefulness] [Ardency]
Quote: “The boundaries we set for ourselves are oftentime much smaller than what we can actually deal with, work with, or be with.” [Self-identity view] [Clinging] [Patience]
25. “In concentration, you’re aware of one object. If in that state you become aware of pleasure, does that mean you’ve already left jhāna?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Right Concentration] [Unification] [Happiness] [Right Mindfulness] [Jhāna] // [Self-identity view] [Discernment] [Clinging]
1. “What are the general similarities and differences between the practice of ānāpānasatiand satipaṭṭhāna? Are they the same practice?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Right Mindfulness] [Mindfulness of breathing]
Sutta: MN 118: Ānāpānasati Sutta
28. “Is there a way to measure concentration, mindfulness, and awareness?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Right Mindfulness] [Right Concentration] [Present moment awareness] // [Tranquility] [Happiness]
17. “Would you say more about the ardent, purifying aspect of mindfulness?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Mindfulness] [Ardency]
10. “Is there a reason why mindfulness is number seven in the Path?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Right Mindfulness] [Eightfold Path] // [Right View] [Right Effort]
5. “Do you have any reflections on the “Do or die” attitude?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life/Motivation] [Ardency] [Middle Path] [Monastic life]
6. “Do the Four Iddhipādas apply to the way we develop sammā sati and sammā samādhi?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Bases of Success] [Right Mindfulness] [Right Concentration] [Monastic life] // [Progress of insight]
2. “For some people, death comes with extreme pain. Part of being able to navigate through the dissolution of self requires clarity of mind. My understanding is that a lot of pain management involves morphine or other mind-numbing drugs. How does one navigate the pain?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Death] [Pain] [Relinquishment] [Self-identity view] [Clear comprehension] [Health care] [Intoxicants] // [Fear]
6. “In practicing mindfulness day-to-day, which category of mindfulness is most important at varying times? Body, feelings, mind, or dhammas?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Mindfulness] [Everyday life] [Right Mindfulness] // [Continuity of mindfulness]