Jun. 23, 2023
Online interview
15 excerpts, 45:58 total duration
Sol Hanna interviews Ajahn Pasanno about his life as a monk for the Treasure Mountain Podcast.
External website
1. [2:48] “What was it like growing up in such an isolated place? Did this influence you towards spiritual or philosophical inquiry from a young age?” [Culture/Natural environment] [Spiritual search]
2. [4:09] “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?” [Travel] // [Spiritual search] [Learning] [Zen]
Follow-up: “What attracted you to Thailand?” [Culture/Thailand]
3. [8:05] “Did you go on a retreat in Thailand? How did you end up ordaining in Bangkok?” [Meditation retreats] [Ordination] // [Mahasi Sayadaw] [Temporary ordination]
4. [10:52] “How did it come to be that you ended up with Ajahn Chah? What was it like the first time you met him?” [Ajahn Chah] // [Determination] [Wat Pah Pong]
Quote: (To himself) “Five years if five years. You’ve got to do it.”
5. [15:02] “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?” [Ajahn Chah] [Monastic life] [Wat Pah Pong] // [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. [18:46] “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?” [Monastic life] [Monastic life/Motivation] // [Ajahn Chah] [Faith] [Truth]
7. [19:49] “How did you come to be abbot of Wat Pah Nanachat?” [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. [31:58] “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?” [Wat Pah Nanachat] [Environment ] // [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. [38:16] “How did you come to join Ajahn Amaro as co-abbot of the newly established Abhayagiri Monastery in California?” [Ajahn Amaro] [Abbot] [Abhayagiri] [Ajahn Pasanno ] // [Saṅghapāla] [Ajahn Sumedho] [Jack Kornfield] [Elders' Council] [Chithurst]
10. [45:30] “What was it like establishing a forest monastery with the strict Vinaya of the Forest Tradition in California in the 1990s?” [Abhayagiri] [Vinaya] [Thai Forest Tradition] [Culture/West] // [Conscience and prudence] [Trust] [Precepts]
11. [47:07] “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?” [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. [49:03] “How many monastics are there at Abhayagiri right now?” [Abhayagiri] [Monastic life]
13. [49:36] “During your time in the United States, how do you think the knowledge and practice of Buddhism has changed?” [Culture/West] // [Abhayagiri] [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support]
14. [51:42] “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?” [Abhayagiri] [Abbot] [Retirement] [Ajahn Karuṇadhammo] [Ajahn Pasanno ] [Ajahn Ñāṇiko] [History/Western Buddhist monasticism] [Culture/West] // [Monastic life]
15. [54:05] “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?” [Spiritual search ] [Monastic life] [Eightfold Path] [Monastic life/Motivation] // [Appropriate attention] [Culture/West] [Perfectionism] [Happiness] [Right Effort] [Patience]