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40 events, 190 sessions, 1563 excerpts, 88:34:43 total duration

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Monastic life (105)     Ajahn Chah (92)     Ajahn Pasanno (78)     Mindfulness of breathing (68)     Jhāna (60)     Death (50)     Directed thought and evaluation (50)     Goodwill (46)     Not-self (46)     Suffering (45)    

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Two Kinds of Thought and the Removal of Distracting Thoughts, Session 2: The Removal of Distracting ThoughtsAjahn Pasanno – Jun. 4, 2017

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1. “The last option [in MN 20] I thought was really interesting because it's reare I hear such agressive terms used. There's almost a sense of violence in some of those terms. Is that just because of the interpretation? Also, is another option to get rid of the thought to get up and actively do something?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Language] [Abuse/violence] [Excercise] // [Buddha/Biography] [Similes] [Cleanliness] [Gladdening the mind]


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2. Comment: Ajahn Amaro talked about a teacher who was an ex-boxer with rough manners. [Personality] [Fierce/direct teaching]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Unwholesome Roots]

Story: Ajahn Mun admonishes Ajahn Mahā Boowa: "You need to develop some subtlety!" [Ajahn Mun] [Ajahn Mahā Boowa] [Admonishment/feedback]


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3. “After a long time in practice trying to order thoughts around, which hasn't been so fruitful, there's been an experiment: trying to observe even when thoughts are really spinning, just bringing an awareness and let them spin. If there's a strong sense of watching, where does that fit in [to MN 20]?” [Directed thought and evaluation] [Proliferation] [Present moment awareness] // [Mindfulness] [Tranquility]


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4. “When you go into your body to feel the underlying emotion behnd a thought, what happens when the bodily feeling is so uncomfortable taht you really don't want to feel it?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Mindfulness of body] [Emotion] [Directed thought and evaluation] [Suffering] [Aversion] [Fear] // [Recollection/Buddha] [Recollection/Saṅgha] [Recollection/Virtue] [Faith]

Follow-up: “It seems really difficult to think of Dhamma or the refuges while in such a wrapped-up state. I don't know if I could do that.” [Noble Truth of Suffering] [Visualization] [Goodwill] [Compassion]


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5. Comment: I've discovered on this path that we can change, but sometimes we can not change, and it's just accepting ourselves better and being more at ease in our bodies. [Eightfold Path] [Judgementalism] [Tranquility]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo.


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6. “I'm struggling with developing a personal faith that I can trust in my body and not hurt myself and accept myself.” [Faith] [Mindfulness of body] // [Faculties] [Language]


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7. Comment: One time I really to the edge of all kinds of sadness and my mind came up with [audio unclear] and Three Refuges in a way that seemed very useful for me. [Depression] [Three Refuges] // [Mantra] [Determination] [Suffering]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Directed thought and evaluation] [Skillful qualities]


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8. “All these practices [in MN 20] have been useful to calm the thoughts in the moment, but with ill-will and forgiveness, it hasn't genuinely changed the underlying emotion. I thought I had forgiven somebody, but ill-will comes up towards that person six months later. When do you genuinely change the underlying emotion?” [Calming meditation] [Ill-will] [Forgiveness] [Unwholesome Roots] // [Right Intention] [Conditionality] [Perfectionism]


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9. “When the word evil comes up in a Buddhist context, it always takes me by surprise. What is the word being translated as evil thoughts [in MN 20]?” [Unskillful qualities] [Pāli] [Translation] // [Thai] [Language]


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10. “How can you connect the five methods [of MN 20] with the development of insight, which people tend to equate with just observing?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Directed thought and evaluation] [Calming meditation] [Insight meditation] // [Investigation of states] [Characteristics of existence] [Dependent origination] [Cessation]


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12. Comment: The language in method five [of MN 20] still catches me. If I'm pushing against a thought and beating it down, I'm actually more attached to it because of that. [Directed thought and evaluation] [Right Effort] [Abuse/violence] [Clinging]

Responses by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo.


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14. Comment: The fifth method [of MN 20] is using mind on mind, thought over thought. It's actually kind of subtle. [Directed thought and evaluation] [Mindfulness of mind]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Clinging]


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15. “My friend is having anxiety about her pregnancy issues. These are understandable but not helpful for her well-being. Do you have any recommendations for dealing with legitimate fears?” [Restlessness and worry] [Health] [Birth] [Fear] // [Visualization] [Goodwill] [Compassion]

Follow-up: “Would this go under the category of taking a smaller peg? (MN 20 method one)” [Directed thought and evaluation]


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16. Comment: My experience with method five [of MN 20] is that it works when the mind doing the crushing is compassion mind, wisdom mind. [Directed thought and evaluation] [Compassion] [Discernment] [Right Intention]

Responses by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo.


Two Kinds of Thought and the Removal of Distracting Thoughts, Session 3: Responses from Small Group DiscussionsAjahn Pasanno – Jun. 4, 2017 [Directed thought and evaluation]

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1. “Are the teachings in MN 19: Two Kinds of Thought and MN 20: The Removal of Distracting Thoughts meant to be used just during meditation or 24/7?” [Right Effort] [Continuity of mindfulness] // [Everyday life]


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2. Comment: Our group talked about body scanning, coming back to the body, as a way to find your center. Everyone was conscious of skillful means in knowing themselves. We all had different ways of knowing what works and adapting to different circumstances that arise. [Body scanning] [Mindfulness of body] [Right Effort]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Long-term practice]


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3. Comment: Our group talked about what we use to deal with our thoughts, the Four Noble Truths, and perfectionism. [Four Noble Truths]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno: "You can't go wrong by coming back to the Four Noble Truths."

Simile: The footprint of all animals fit within the footprint of an elephant. In the same way, all the teachings of the Buddha will fit into the Four Noble Truths. — Sariputta, MN 28 [Similes] [Teaching Dhamma] [Great disciples]


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4. Comment: Our group talked about our suffering, the kind of thoughts that we're laboring under, the nature of obsessive and addictive thoughts, and how these teachings might help us choose freedom. [Suffering] [Addiction] [Liberation]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Mindfulness of body] [Four Noble Truths]


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5. “Where does allowing the thought to be there for a little bit come in? For example, if you're thinking about a past event that means something to you, and you're trying to stop it, and all of a sudden you realize, 'Oh, it's okay. This is meaningful to you.' And it really loses power.” [Present moment awareness] // [Ill-will] [Craving not to become] [Mindfulness] [Clear comprehension]


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6. Comment: I've been reflecting on freedom from as opposed to freedom within. Sometimes there's a secret hope that those thoughts will go away, vibhava-taṇha, as opposed to freedom within, meaning releasing the identification with painful thoughts. [Craving not to become] [Self-identity view] [Release] // [Hindrances]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Suffering]

Quote: “Just that much.” — Ajahn Chah [Ajahn Chah] [Disenchantment]


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7. “Do thoughts by themselves have karmic consequences?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Kamma] // [Perception] [Feeling] [Volition] [Self-identity view]

Sutta: MN 56: Upāli

Follow-up: “Is it good kamma to decide not to act on an unskillful thought?” [Skillful qualities]

Story: A person talks with Ajahn Liem, analyzing their consistently bad thoughts and obsessions. He replies, "If you see a pile of excrement, why would you want to stick your nose in it?" Told by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Ajahn Liem] [Unskillful qualities] [Similes] [Fierce/direct teaching] [Culture/Thailand] [Thai Forest Tradition]

Comment: I think my problem is that my nose is already in there, and I don't want to realize that I'm so stupid that it's hard to get it out. [Delusion]


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9. Comment: It's so hard not to identify with the contents of the mind, to not make it me and mine. Realizing how useless so many of my thoughts are helps. [Self-identity view] [Guilt/shame/inadequacy] [Suffering] [Disenchantment]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Mindfulness] [Pāli]

Response by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Not-self] [Humility]


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10. “Is there a reason why mindfulness is number seven in the Path?” [Right Mindfulness] [Eightfold Path] // [Right View] [Right Effort]


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11. “Is this recorded?” [Dhamma online]


Practice in a Global ContextAjahn Pasanno – Aug. 12, 2017 [Politics and society]

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2. “What are spontaneously reborn beings? [in the context of Right View, e.g. MN 117]” [Rebirth] [Realms of existence] [Right View] // [Deva] [Birth] [Ghost]


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3. “There's been a lot of discussion lately about how information sources cater to their own little niche. Do you have advice about information sources?” [Media] [News] // [Internet] [Commerce/economics] [Advertizing] [Non-profit organizations]


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4. “I'm left with a deep sadness about the state of the world. I suppose that's no different than struggling with sadness about the human condition?” [Grief] [Suffering] [Human] // [Compassion] [Depression] [Desire] [Right Effort] [Disenchantment] [Conventions]


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5. “Can you say more about how disenchantment can be uplifting?” [Disenchantment] [Gladdening the mind] // [Translation] [Bhikkhu Bodhi] [Suffering] [Skillful qualities] [Progress of insight]

Quote: “There's no known defense against cheesecake.” — Ajahn Sucitto [Ajahn Sucitto] [Food] [Sensual desire]


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6. Comment: Keeping in mind that everything is cyclical helps me look at the state of the world. [Saṃsāra] [Lawfulness]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Right Effort]


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7. Comment: One thing I've gotten from Trump is the equanimity to listen to his supporters on a one-on-one basis. [Equanimity] [Listening] [Respect]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Fear] [Human] [Suffering] [Community]


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8. “How to work with suspicion skillfully? Is it a combination of looking at the factsas well as your gut feeling?” [Doubt] [Intuition] // [Unwholesome Roots] [Right Effort] [Mindfulness of body]


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9. “Some of my suffering in the current situation comes from feeling compassion with regard to specific suffering that I'm aware of and not acting in response to it. What are helpful stories to frame a patient, long-term effort to effect change?” [Suffering] [Compassion] [Patience] [Long-term practice] [Kamma] [Activism] [Views] // [Association with people of integrity] [Right Effort]

Quote: “And just because one doesn't see results doesn't mean one shouldn't do something....To put the causes into something–that's the only way that change is going to happen.” [Conditionality]


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12. “Is this along the concept of Right Effort in a global sense? Not getting attached to the outcome, but yet finding something that's important enough to put some energy into?” [Right Effort] [Activism] // [Kamma] [Energy]

Quote: “There's no such thing as doing nothing.”


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13. “Did Ajahn Chah ever speak about politics?” [Ajahn Chah] // [Fear] [Proliferation] [History/Thai Buddhism] [Military]

Story: Driving through military checkpoints on the way to Ajahn Fun's funeral. [Ajahn Fun] [Funerals] [Ajahn Pasanno]


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14. “I keep mostly to myself, but morality and ethics affects the jist of my involvement in society. What should I be doing further to address social suffering?” [Virtue] [Community] [Suffering] [Right Effort] // [Spiritual friendship] [Goodwill]


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15. “One of the reflections that was sent online described Ajahn Chah's response to monks who wanted to go out and help refugees. Can you speak to this?” [Ajahn Chah] [Monastic life] [Service] // [Thai Ajahn Chah monasteries] [Military] [Conflict]

Story: Ajahn Pasanno spends time at a Cambodian refugee camp. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Preah Mahāghosānanda]


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16. “I spread lovingkindness from home and don't have the good fortune of meeting with like minds who practice to perfect sīla. Any suggestions?” [Lay life] [Goodwill] [Spiritual friendship] [Virtue]

Quote: Ajahn Chah to Ajahn Sumedho: “Do you mean to say there's no good people in America?” [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Sumedho] [Culture/West]


Teen Weekend 2017Ajahn Pasanno – Sep. 2, 2017

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1. “What meaningful impact do Buddhist monks have on the community?” [Monastic life] [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support] [Community] [Saṅgha] // [Culture/West] [Culture/Thailand] [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Wat Pah Nanachat] [Abhayagiri]

Story: Ajahn Pasanno's first visit to Wat Pah Pong. [Wat Pah Pong]


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2. “How closely do you and the other monks live together?” [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] [Abhayagiri] // [Ajahn Chah] [Communal harmony] [Vinaya] [Seclusion] [Culture/West] [Culture/Thailand]


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3. “When you first ordained, you were just starting to learn about Buddhism. What changed that made you want to dive in?” [Ajahn Pasanno] // [Meditation/Results] [Ajahn Chah]

Story: "If you want to stay with me, you have to stay at least five years." — Ajahn Chah


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4. “Will we get to see your kuti today?” [Abhayagiri] [Shelter]

Story: Early history of Abhayagiri Monastery. [History/Western Buddhist monasticism] [Master Hsuan Hua] [Seclusion] [Culture/Natural environment]


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5. “What was the hardest thing to give up?” [Ajahn Pasanno] [Renunciation] // [Family]

Story: Ajahn Pasanno's first visit back to Canada.


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6. “In a Latin American country, the government privatized the water supply and passed a law making it illegal to collect rainwater. Everyone had to buy their water from Nestlé. Does this count as taking what is not given?” [Stealing] [Politics and society] [Environment] // [Ajahn Pasanno] [Culture/Thailand]


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7. “I have doubts about the concept of personal property. How does activism following the Five Precepts work in a country whose water supply has been bought out by private interests?” [Politics and society] [Environment] [Five Precepts] // [Community] [Virtue] [Discernment]

Story: Ajahn Pasanno investigates a logging operation at Dtao Dtum. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Culture/Thailand] [Dtao Dum]


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8. “If you could give your younger self one piece of information, what would it be?” [Ajahn Pasanno] // [Restlessness and worry] [Fear]


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9. “What were you like when you were 18?” [Ajahn Pasanno] // [Delusion] [Spiritual search] [Intoxicants] [Relationships]


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10. Comment: I haven't heard any Buddhist teachers talk about wholesome romantic relationships. [Relationships] [Skillful qualities]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Family] [Treasures]

Sutta: AN 4.55 Samajīvī Sutta [Virtue]


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11. “Can you talk about your environmental work in Thailand? What qualities of heart and inner strength help us live without being completely overwhelmed?” [Ajahn Pasanno] [Environment] [History/Thai Buddhism] // [Politics and society] [Greed] [Teaching Dhamma] [Panyaprateep School] [Food] [Dtao Dum]

Story: Sri Lankan monastic kidney donors. [Health] [History/Sri Lankan Buddhism]


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12. “What is the most important thing we can do to help the next generation in terms of the environment?” [Environment] // [Simplicity] [Contentment] [Greed]


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14. “What are the biggest misconceptions about being ordained?” [Monastic life] // [Selfishness]

Story: Ajahn Pasanno visits Ajahn Buddhadāsa: "Don't be selfish!" [Ajahn Buddhadāsa] [Ajahn Pasanno]


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15. “What was your greatest desire as a kid?” [Ajahn Pasanno] [Desire] // [Monastic life/Motivation] [Truth]


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16. “Are there monastics who wander around the world without any home base or destination?” [Monastic life] [Tudong] // [Rains retreat] [Abhayagiri] [Requisites] [Almsround] [Culture/West] [Almsfood] [Not handling money] [Generosity]


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17. “Have you broken any precepts where only you know if you broke them?” [Vinaya] [Ajahn Pasanno] // [Right Speech]

Story: Ajahn Pasanno's uncle offers him alchohol. [Intoxicants] [Truth]


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18. “For the sake of the precepts, what's the definition of gossip?” [Precepts] [Malicious speech] [Idle chatter]


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19. “Does gossip include talking about someone who is not present for entertainment value?” [Malicious speech] [Idle chatter] // [Communal harmony] [Abhayagiri]


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20. “Is the point of the precepts to create as much well-being and as little pain in your environment as possible?” [Precepts] [Happiness] // [Non-contention] [Communal harmony] [Trust]


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21. “Is the philosophy of this community totally against fun?” [Monastic life] [Entertainment and adornment] [Happiness] [Recreation/leisure/sport] // [Association with people of integrity] [Culture/Natural environment]


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22. Comment: Some of the things that monastics avoid due to their precepts can be really beautiful. [Monastic life] [Vinaya]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno.


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23. “Apart from cheating in a relationship or sexual assault, what is sexual misconduct?” [Sexual misconduct] // [Relationships]


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24. “When all of the solar panels will be put in, how much of the monastery's energy needs will be met?” [Environment] [Abhayagiri]


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25. “When's your birthday?” [Ajahn Pasanno]


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26. “Do the monks give each other massages?” [Monastic life] [Health] // [Culture/Thailand]


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27. “What do you think of our president right now?” [Politics and society] // [Right Speech]


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28. “What precepts don't most people know about that have a big effect on your life?” [Monastic life] [Vinaya] // [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support] [Requisites] [Mindfulness]


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29. “Do monastics talk with each other about the precepts they have broken or having wrong thoughts?” [Monastic life] [Vinaya] [Saṅgha] [Christianity] // [Pāṭimokkha] [Confession] [Rains retreat] [Learning] [Abhayagiri] [Faith]


The Teaching and the Training, Session 1: The Teaching and the TrainingAjahn Pasanno – Mar. 12, 2018 [Monastic life] [Dhamma] [Vinaya]

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1. “The Buddha described his teaching as Dhamma-vinaya. Can you explain why it wasn't just Dhamma? What does this term mean?” [Middle Path] // [Recollection/Buddha]


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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?” [Culture/West] [Attachment to rites and rituals] // [Recollection/Dhamma] [Faith]


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3. “How do we expand our faith into other aspects of training?” [Faith] // [Dependent origination] [Recollection/Buddha] [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Liem]


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4. “Is vinaya about taking responsibility for your actions and mental states and how that affects other people?” // [Dependent origination] [Recollection/Buddha]


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5. “Can you talk about skillful means to become more sensitive to the nuances of monastic training?” // [Requisites] [Mindfulness] [Respect for elders] [Upatakh]


The Teaching and the Training, Session 2: Celibacy, Symbol, and the TranscendentAjahn Pasanno – Mar. 13, 2018 [Monastic life]

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1. “Can you talk about respect in the context of horizontal and vertical relationships in monastic life?” [Respect] [Respect for elders] // [Conscience and prudence]


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2. “Are their multiple levels of brahmacariyā (celibacy)?” [Celibacy] [Christianity] [Sensual desire] // [Becoming]

Sutta: AN 7.50 Sexual Intercourse


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3. “Can you speak to the development of respect for the symbols of monastic life as opposed to respect for individual teachers?” [Respect] [Teachers] // [Almsbowl] [Buddha] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Ajahn Chah] [Human]


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4. Comment: I notice that you sometimes don't react to the seemingly disrespectful behavior of visitors. [Respect] [Teaching Dhamma]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Buddha]


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5. “Western culture seems to have no context for celibacy as a good thing.” [Celibacy] [Culture/West] // [Christianity]


The Teaching and the Training, Session 3: From Restraint to ConfidenceAjahn Pasanno – Mar. 19, 2018

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1. “Why are the precepts worded as things not to do rather than as aspirations?” [Precepts] [Vinaya] // [Dhamma]

Quote: “You can't mandate goodness.”


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2. “How does the Vinaya encourage monks to keep rules?” [Vinaya] [Monastic life] // [Dhamma]


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3. “What is the role of confession and other tools for recifying offenses?” [Vinaya] [Confession] // [Ajahn Chah] [Volition] [Kamma] [Dhamma]


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4. “When the Buddha mentions stream entry, he often mentions both sīla (virtue) and view.” [Stream entry] [Virtue] [Right View]


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5. “What about Sarakāni (SN 55.24-25), the stream enterer who took to drink?” [Stream entry] [Intoxicants] // [Ajahn Chah] [Precepts]

Story: Ajahn Chah takes in a gangster. [Crime]


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6. “Can you talk more about "Skillfully contributing to an upredictable situation"?” [Impermanence] [Skillful qualities] [Ajahn Pasanno] // [Teaching Dhamma] [Clear comprehension]


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7. “Have you been in situations where you didn't know what to do?” [Ajahn Pasanno] [Impermanence]


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8. “I appreciate your saying "The trancendance of doubt isn't getting the answers to your doubt, it's being comfortable with the doubt."” [Ajahn Pasanno] [Doubt]


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9. “When the suttas describe a practitioner as "having gone beyond doubt," (e.g. DN 3) what do they mean?” [Doubt] [Sutta] // [Four Noble Truths] [Teaching Dhamma] [Ajahn Chah]

Story: An Ajahn Chah monk accused of a heavy offense. [Vinaya]


The Teaching and the Training, Session 4: The Monastic Form in the WestAjahn Pasanno – Mar. 20, 2018 [Monastic life]

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1. “What is the role of mentors and teachers in learning to use the monastic form skillfully?” [Teachers] [Mentoring] [Vinaya] // [Saṅgha] [Ajahn Chah] [Wat Pah Pong] [Teaching Dhamma] [Long-term practice] [Ajahn Pasanno]


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2. “Who were imporant mentors for you?” [Ajahn Pasanno] [Teachers] [Mentoring] // [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Jun] [Ajahn Mahā Amorn] [Ajahn Liem] [Ajahn Sumedho] [Ajahn Mahā Boowa] [Ajahn Baen] [Ajahn Buddhadāsa] [P. A. Payutto] [Wat Pah Pong]

Story: Ajahn Mahā Amorn goes to study with Ajahn Chah. [Learning]


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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?” [Mahāyāna] [Vajrayāna] [Culture/West] [Culture/Thailand] [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] [Cittavivieka] [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]


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4. “Have you had strong relationships with Buddhist lay teachers in the West?” [Lay teachers] [Ajahn Pasanno] [History/Western Buddhism]


The Teaching and the Training, Session 5: Being Your Own RefugeAjahn Pasanno – Mar. 21, 2018 [Monastic life]

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1. “What can we learn when we pay respects to mentors?” [Respect for elders] // [Ajahn Mahā Boowa] [Almsround] [Ajahn Pasanno]

Story: Ajahn Mahā Boowa visits after Ajahn Chah's death. [Ajahn Chah]

Story: Ajahn Baen admonishes Ajahn Pasanno at Ajahn Chah's cremation. [Ajahn Baen] [Fierce/direct teaching]

Quote: “You don't have to visit me! You know what to do already! It's all right here (pointing at his heart).” — Ajahn Baen to Ajahn Pasanno


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2. “How many monks are with Luang Por Baen?” [Ajahn Baen]


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3. “What about senior monks who don't meet our expectations of conduct or practice?” [Respect for elders] // [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Ajahn Mahā Boowa]

Sutta: AN 4.192 Facts


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4. “Do you remember the sutta that compares people's behaivor to a puddle?” [Sutta] [Similes] // [Ill-will]

Sutta: AN 5.162 Removing Resentment


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5. “Do you have any reflections on the "Do or die" attitude?” [Monastic life/Motivation] [Ardency] [Middle Path]


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6. “Can you talk about the dangers of misplaced or wrongly directed faith in a teacher?” [Faith] [Teaching Dhamma] [Respect for elders] // [Recollection/Dhamma] [Middle Path]

Quote: “A good teacher encourages people to practice and figure this out rather than telling them exactly what to do.” [Discernment]


The Teaching and the Training, Session 6: Caring for Monks in Aging, Sickness, and DeathAjahn Pasanno – Mar. 22, 2018 [Monastic life] [Saṅgha]

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1. “How does upatakhing fit into our training and what can we learn from it?” [Upatakh] [Vinaya] [Respect for elders] // [Culture/Thailand] [Conceit] [Generosity] [Protocols] [Discernment] [Mindfulness]

Vinaya: Cv 8: Vattakkhandhaka - Protocols

Story: Ajahn Lee upataks Ajahn Mun. [Ajahn Mun] [Ajahn Lee Dhammadharo]


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2. “I assume at Abhayagiri the upatakh sleeps in his own dwelling place? (in contrast to the previous story of Ajahn Lee)” [Abhayagiri] [Upatakh] // [Sickness] [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Other Thai monastics]


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3. “What is the value of living in community?” // [Self-identity view] [Continuity of mindfulness] [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Tongrat] [Views] [Requisites] [Not handling money]


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4. “Do you think it's true that how we treat others is in large part how we treat ourselves?” [Community] [Discernment]


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5. Comment: It's important for the Saṅgha to look after all members in terms of sickness and ageing. [Sickness] [Ageing] [Death]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Wat Pah Nanachat] [History/Western Buddhist monasticism]

Vinaya: Kd 8.26.1-8: The Monk with Dysentery [Buddha/Biography]


The Teaching and the Training, Session 7: Serving, Bowing, ImagesAjahn Pasanno – Mar. 23, 2018 [Monastic life]

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1. “Why do upatakhs do things for their ajahns that the ajahns can do better themselves?” [Upatakh] // [Self-identity view] [Generosity] [Relinquishment] [Culture/Thailand] [Culture/West]


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2. “In Thailand, dāna (generosity) usually means giving food to a monk. But is dāna more of a mindset?” [Generosity] [Culture/Thailand] // [Chanting] [Upatakh] [Wat Pah Pong] [Ajahn Chah] [Cleanliness]


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3. “Can you talk about Ajahn Chah's use of bowing, communal pūjās, and chores?” [Ajahn Chah] [Chanting] [Saṅgha] [Work] [Bowing] // [Becoming] [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support] [Respect for elders]

Story: A Westerner asks Ajahn Chah, "Why do we bow?"


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4. “Can you clarify what "field of merit" means?” [Saṅgha] [Recollection/Saṅgha] [Generosity] [Recollection/Generosity] [Merit]


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5. “Why do we bow to images?” [Buddha images] [Bowing] // [History/Early Buddhism] [Abhayagiri]


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6. “What about relics?” [Relics] // [Ajahn Mun] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Ajahn Khao] [Mae Chee Kaew] [Master Hsuan Hua] [Ajahn Chah]

Story: Ajahn Pasanno's mother observes multiplying relics.


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7. “What do you think might have happened to the few relics in my house when it burned down?” [Relics]