All questions

46 events, 209 sessions, 1688 excerpts, 95:49:48 total duration

Most common topics:
Monastic life (112)     Ajahn Chah (104)     Ajahn Pasanno (98)     Mindfulness of breathing (72)     Jhāna (57)     Death (56)     Directed thought and evaluation (52)     Suffering (52)     Goodwill (51)     Happiness (50)    

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

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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.”


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


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3. “What is the role of confession and other tools for recifying offenses?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [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.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Stream entry] [Virtue] [Right View]


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5. “What about Sarakāni (SN 55.24-25), the stream enterer who took to drink?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [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”?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [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?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [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.”” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [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?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [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 West – Mar. 20, 2018

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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]


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2. “Who were imporant mentors for you?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Teachers] [Mentoring] [Monastic life] // [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?” 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]


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


The Teaching and the Training, Session 5: Being Your Own Refuge – Mar. 21, 2018

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1. “What can we learn when we pay respects to mentors?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Respect for elders] [Monastic life] // [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?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Baen] [Monastic life]


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3. “What about senior monks who don’t meet our expectations of conduct or practice?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Respect for elders] [Monastic life] // [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?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [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?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life/Motivation] [Ardency] [Middle Path] [Monastic life]


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6. “Can you talk about the dangers of misplaced or wrongly directed faith in a teacher?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Faith] [Teachers ] [Respect for elders] [Monastic life] // [Recollection/Dhamma] [Middle Path]

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


The Teaching and the Training, Session 6: Caring for Monks in Aging, Sickness, and Death – Mar. 22, 2018

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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]


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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)” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Abhayagiri] [Upatakh] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] // [Sickness] [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Other Thai monastics]


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3. “What is the value of living in community?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life] [Saṅgha ] // [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?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [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] [Health care] [Death] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha ]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno.

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

Recollections of Saṅgha members who have died. [Wat Pah Nanachat] [History/Western Buddhist monasticism]


The Teaching and the Training, Session 7: Serving, Bowing, Images – Mar. 23, 2018

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1. “Why do upatakhs do things for their ajahns that the ajahns can do better themselves?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Upatakh] [Monastic life] // [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?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Generosity] [Culture/Thailand] [Monastic life] // [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?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Monastic routine] [Chanting] [Saṅgha] [Monastic life] [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?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Saṅgha] [Recollection/Saṅgha] [Generosity] [Recollection/Generosity] [Monastic life] [Merit]


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5. “Why do we bow to images?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Buddha images] [Bowing] [Monastic life] // [History/Early Buddhism] [Abhayagiri]


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6. “What about relics?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Relics] [Monastic life] // [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?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Relics]


The Teaching and the Training, Session 8: The Role of Community – Mar. 26, 2018

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1. “Ajahn Chah encouraged his monks to all come together for communal chores and stay until the chores are finished. Why is that?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Work] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] // [Communal harmony] [Relinquishment] [Clinging] [Culture/West]


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2. “What does morning pūjā contribute?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Chanting] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] // [Devotion to wakefulness]


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3. “Will practice as a group help us in solitude?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Seclusion] [Meditation/General advice] [Community] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha]


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4. “How do we balance solitude and communal aspects of practice?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Seclusion] [Community] [Meditation/General advice] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] // [Ajahn Pasanno]


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5. Comment: Some deep-seated patterns may be more visible to others than ourselves. [Community] [Outflows] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Aversion] [Self-identity view]


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6. “Is there a place to point out others’ difficulties [in the practice]?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Admonishment/feedback] [Right Speech] [Community] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] // [Ajahn Chah] [Teaching Dhamma]


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7. “What is the role of admonishement? How do we admonish skillfully?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Admonishment/feedback ] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] // [Right Intention] [Goodwill] [Mentoring] [Respect for elders]

Vinaya: Kd 18.11.14, Kd 18.12.8: Mutual admonishment between teacher and student.

Story: Ajahn Amaro waits a year before giving feedback. [Ajahn Amaro] [Patience]

Quote: “Don’t admonish somebody before the meal.” — Ajahn Chah [Ajahn Chah]


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8. “Does the proper timing of admonishment depend on the severity of the offense?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Admonishment/feedback] [Vinaya] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha]


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9. “When and how should one respond to offenses of middling severity?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Admonishment/feedback] [Vinaya] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha]


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10. “I’ve heard that someone asked Ajahn Chah if he could read his students’ minds. He replied that he didn’t need to; he just watched how they walked in the door and bowed. Do you get a feel for this over time?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Psychic powers] [Teaching Dhamma] [Mindfulness of body] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] [Bowing]


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11. “When is it skillful to try to help people who are suffering?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Compassion ] [Suffering] [Teaching Dhamma]


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12. “Have you found it necessary to recommend psychotherapy or medication for monks who have deep-seated ruts of suffering?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Western psychology ] [Suffering] [Long-term practice] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] // [Ajahn Pasanno]


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13. “Is the Dhamma sufficient for ordinary neurosis or do I need a psychotherapist?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Western psychology] [Dhamma]


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14. “A senior lay teacher I respect has started seeing a psychotherapist. Any reflections?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Western psychology] [Dhamma] [Lay teachers]


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15. “Does the stability of monastic community help prevent spiritual bypassing?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Spiritual bypass] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha]


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17. “Abhayagiri’s daily and yearly schedule provide a good balance of individual and communal practice. How did this happen?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Abhayagiri] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Ajahn Amaro] [Seclusion] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] // [History/Western Buddhist monasticism]


The Teaching and the Training, Session 9: Dhutangas, The Ascetic Practices – Mar. 27, 2018

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1. “What is the purpose of dhutaṅga practices?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life] [Ascetic practices ] // [Simplicity] [Renunciation] [Almsround] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Almsfood] [Abhayagiri] [Impermanence] [Devotion to wakefulness] [Wat Pah Pong] [Wat Pah Ban Tat] [Long-term practice]


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2. “How do we discern the benefit of dhutaṅga practices and how much is too much?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Discernment] [Middle Path] [Monastic life] [Ascetic practices] // [Ajahn Pasanno] [Devotion to wakefulness] [Almsround] [History/Early Buddhism] [Gladdening the mind] [Ajahn Chah] [Master Hsuan Hua]

Story: Ajahn Jayasaro determines sitter’s practice until Ajahn Chah dies. [Ajahn Jayasaro] [Respect for elders] [Determination]


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3. “What do you recommend when we make a determination and either realize that it’s not working out or break it? How do we continue from there?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Determination] [Monastic life] [Ascetic practices] // [Ajahn Pasanno] [Moderation in eating] [Precepts]


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4. “Can adhiṭṭhānas be made in a formal way?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Determination] [Monastic life] [Ascetic practices]


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6. “How do we perceive which ruts we are stuck in and which tools to use to get out of them? Are there tools besides dhutaṅgas to use when we’re stuck in strong habits?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Delusion] [Craving] [Monastic life] [Ascetic practices] // [Ajahn Pasanno] [Faith] [Three Refuges] [Self-identity view]


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7. “What is the importance of the brahmavihārās in balancing out dhutaṅga practices?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Divine Abidings] [Monastic life] [Ascetic practices] // [Recollection/Buddha] [Gladdening the mind] [Attachment to precepts and practices] [Discernment] [Compassion] [Learning] [Arahant]


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8. “What are the results of making good use of the ascetic practices?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life] [Ascetic practices]


The Teaching and the Training, Session 10: The Relationship Between Study and Practice – Mar. 28, 2018

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1. “The Krooba Ajahns often deemphasize study. What is the context in which they said this and how should we work with this?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Culture/Thailand] [Thai Forest Tradition] [Learning] // [Ajahn Chah] [Right View] [Culture/West] [Faith]


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2. “Ajahn Piyadhammo encourages study to develop a personal relationship with the Buddha, cultivating Buddhanussati. Does this make sense?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Piyadhammo] [Recollection/Buddha] [Learning] // [Faith]


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3. “In Thailand, is the only way to study the suttas to go to a study monastery?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Culture/Thailand] [Sutta] [Learning] // [History/Thai Buddhism] [Ajahn Buddhadāsa] [Ajahn Mahā Boowa] [Ajahn Mun]


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4. Comment: We’re blessed to have study guides in English to learn the basics of Pāli and then go straight to the suttas. [Culture/West] [Pāli] [Sutta] [Learning]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Buddhadāsa] [Chao Khun Upāli] [Ajahn Mun]


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5. “How do we use sutta study in our practice and what are the pitfalls?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Sutta] [Views] [Learning ] // [Non-contention] [Self-identity view] [Culture/India] [Relinquishment]

Sutta: MN 18


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6. Comment: Another major danger of over-intellectualizing is overestimating our progress. [Progress of insight] [Learning]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Views] [Relinquishment]


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7. “Have you done much memorization practice?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Learning] // [Eightfold Path] [Pāli] [Right Mindfulness] [Chanting] [Energy]


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8. “What encouragement or adjustments in their lives have you given struggling monks that have helped them remain in robes?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life ] [Disrobing] // [Tudong] [Teaching Dhamma]


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9. Comment: I’ve heard that you advise monks contemplating disrobing to recollect their initial intention why they became a monk. [Monastic life] [Disrobing] [Monastic life/Motivation]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno.


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10. “What role does spending time at other monasteries play in our training?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life] [Abhayagiri] // [Wat Pah Nanachat] [Saṅgha]


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11. “What are guidelines you might advise monks as to where to go for their third or fifth Vassa?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life] [Sequence of training ] [Long-term practice] // [Culture/Thailand]


The Teaching and the Training, Session 11: Foundations, Community, Rebirth, Nibbana – Mar. 29, 2018

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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


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2. “Would you be willing to speak on the importance of having faith in rebirth?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Faith] [Rebirth] // [Culture/West] [Right View] [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Pasanno]

Sutta: MN 117: Definition of right view


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3. Comment: It sounds like teachings about rebirth and teachers speaking about their experience of rebirth are out there. Whether people pick it up or not, you leave it up to them. [Rebirth] [Teaching Dhamma] [Monastic life]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Ajahn Chah] [Faith]


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4. “At the beginning of this retreat, Tan Ajahn Anan advised us, “Don’t forget Nibbāna.” How do we orient ourselves towards Nibbāna?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Nibbāna ] [Ajahn Anan] [Monastic life] // [Dispassion] [Cessation of Suffering] [Etymology] [Stream entry]

Sutta: AN 10.60: Girimānanda Sutta [Cessation]

Sutta: SN 56.11: “Whatever is of the nature to arise, that is of the nature to cease.” [Conditionality]

Quote: “[The goal] is incredibly worthy, and it is not beyound our capability and means to experience.” [Direct experience]


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5. “I was reading the book Hooked about desire, consumerism, and society. The author writes about the desire to know things. How does the desire to know relate to practice?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Desire] [Monastic life] // [Cause of Suffering] [Cessation of Suffering] [Bases of Success] [Sensual desire] [Craving]

Sutta: SN 51.15: The path has an end. [Great disciples]


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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]


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7. “So you’ve asked all your questions?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Questions] [Teaching Dhamma] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Monastic life]


The New Ajahn Chah Biography, Session 2: Readings with Q&A Part 1 – Apr. 21, 2018

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5. “Are there criteria you need to fulfill before the Saṅga will let you form your own monastery?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Saṅgha decision making] [Sequence of training] [Monasteries] [Ajahn Chah] // [History/Thai Buddhism] [Teaching Dhamma]

Quote: “You don’t have to worry about that, Dad. Thai Buddhism isn’t organized.” — Ajahn Siripañño [Culture/Thailand]


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8. “Kataññu-katavedi refers to receiving kindness and the recognition of the gift of kindness. How are we to understand cultivating the intention to offer kindness to others?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Gratitude] [Compassion] [Generosity] [Ajahn Chah] // [Happiness] [Mindfulness of feeling] [Aversion] [Contact] [Spaciousness] [Direct experience]

Story: Villagers ask Ajahn Chah how he can teach Westerners when they don’t speak Thai. [Culture/West] [Language]

Quote: “Dhamma is the language of experience.” — Ajahn Chah [Dhamma]


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10. “Did you mention what the trancendent truth of the Saṅgha was?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Saṅgha] [Truth] [Three Refuges] // [Eightfold Path] [Stages of awakening] [Conventions] [Chanting] [Recollection/Saṅgha]


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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]


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12. “What can you offer dying people who didn’t have the opportunity to engage in Buddhist practice?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Death] [Compassion] // [Listening] [Patience] [Tranquility] [Equanimity] [Fear] [Right Speech] [Chanting]


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13. “Can you talk about evolution and growth in regards to the precepts as opposed to just following rules?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Five Precepts] [Precepts] [Attachment to precepts and practices] // [Pāli] [Etymology] [Learning] [Suffering] [Doubt] [Self-identity view]


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14. “When you find happiness, there’s the hope that you won’t lose it and the fear that you will. How do you peel away the hope and the fear and bathe in happiness?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Happiness] [Desire] [Fear] [Impermanence] // [Suffering] [Learning] [Relinquishment]


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15. “What qualifies as helping a parent make progress on the path?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Parents ] [Gratitude] [Eightfold Path] // [Learning] [Happiness] [Contentment] [Teaching Dhamma]


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16. “Can you speak about regret?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Conscience and prudence] [Restlessness and worry] // [Guilt/shame/inadequacy] [Determination] [Skillful qualities] [Culture/West] [Kamma] [Goodwill]

Story: Ajahn Pasanno can’t translate guilt into Thai. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Thai] [Suffering]


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17. “Is there a special way to develop lovingkindness?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Goodwill] // [Heart/mind] [Forgiveness] [Mindfulness of feeling]


The New Ajahn Chah Biography, Session 3: Readings with Q&A Part 2 – Apr. 21, 2018

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3. Comment: I’m trying to move away from the concept of formal and informal practice. It’s just how I’m practicing in practice this moment. [Continuity of mindfulness] [Meditation] [Present moment awareness] [Everyday life]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ardency] [Tranquility] [Middle Path] [Eightfold Path]


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4. “How can we skillfully take apart our preconceived notions and assumptions without undermining our ability to think?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Delusion] [Knowledge and vision] [Directed thought and evaluation] // [Noble Truth of Suffering] [Cause of Suffering] [Proliferation]


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8. Comment by Ajahn Ñāṇiko: But in a sense Por Am had wisdom, questioning Ajahn Chah from every possible angle. [Ajahn Chah] [Questions] [Discernment]

Reflection: Stillness Flowing by Ajahn Jayasaro, p. 647

Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Thai] [Wat Pah Pong]


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11. “What is the best way to navigate the people that we love that have unskillful behaivors but we don’t want to cut out of our lives?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Family] [Spiritual friendship] [Unskillful qualities] // [Compassion] [Patience] [Truth] [Aversion] [Admonishment/feedback]


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12. “The duty in regard to the First Noble Truth is to understand suffering. How do you do this?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Noble Truth of Suffering] [Suffering] // [Fear] [Pāli] [Characteristics of existence] [Aversion] [Postures] [Direct experience] [Conditionality] [Relinquishment]


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13.Stillness Flowing by Ajahn Jayasaro, p. 682 “Dhamma Practice”” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Dhamma] [Practicing in accordance with Dhamma] // [Characteristics of existence]


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15. “When you have completed the practice, does everything become ‘down time?’” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Stages of awakening] [Recreation/leisure/sport] // [Clinging] [Almsfood] [Culture/Natural environment]

Quote: “It’s because we reflect on these ‘serious things’ that we can hold things lightly.” [Recollection]

Suttas: MN 2.13: Reflection on the requisites; AN 5.208: Benefits of chewing toothwood


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16. “These readings give the sense that the Northeastern Thai Isan culture is the soil that supports the living tradition. Are there cultural attitudes or ingredients that would be helpful for laypeople in addition to the key things of sīla and Right View?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Culture/Thailand] [Thai Forest Tradition] [Culture/West] [Virtue] [Right View] // [Generosity] [Meditation] [Precepts] [Guilt/shame/inadequacy] [Happiness]


Chanting, Session 1: Purposes and Practices – Jun. 2, 2018

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4. Story: Learning the Paṭimokkha. Told by Ajahn Pasanno. [Pāṭimokkha] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Chanting] // [Ajahn Chah] [Culture/India]

Responses by Ajahn Ñāṇiko, Ajahn Karuṇadhammo and Ajahn Kaccāna.


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8. “Can we approach chanting as praying for someone in a difficult situation?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Christianity] [Devotional practice] [Family] [Health] [Chanting] // [Skillful qualities] [Compassion] [Right Intention] [Merit] [Abhayagiri] [Nature of the cosmos]


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9. “How can you use chanting to work with long-term physical pain and other people’s healing?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Pain] [Health] [Chanting] // [Tranquility] [Concentration] [Fear] [Release]


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10. “Are there any chants that are inappropriate for laypeople to chant?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Lay life] [Chanting]


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11. “How can you chant to generate energy?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Energy] [Chanting] // [Postures] [Mindfulness of breathing]


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12. “Is there any danger to chanting?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Chanting]


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13. “The fourth precept used to be translated as false and harmful speech. In the new chanting book, it’s just lying. Is there a reason for this?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [False speech] [Pāli] [Chanting] // [Right Speech]

Reference: Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 130

Sutta: MN 41: Saleyyaka Sutta


Chanting, Session 2: Pronunciation and Rythym – Jun. 2, 2018

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1. “Sometimes there’s no pause between the words we’re chanting. Why?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [History/Early Buddhism] [Chanting] [Pāli]

Reference: Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 129: Five Precepts.


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2. “Are the dots under m and n [ṃ, ṇ] that inscrutable non-English sound that was mentioned earlier?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Chanting] [Pāli]

Follow-up: “And that has nothing to do with the pitch going down? That’s the carat mark?” [History/Western Buddhist monasticism]


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3. Comment: It seems like we stretch out ‘saha’ in the request for the Five Precepts (Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 126). [Chanting] [Pāli]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno.


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4. “Can you explain the rythym and scanning of the seventh of the Eight Precepts (Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 135)?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Eight Precepts] [Entertainment and adornment] [Chanting] [Pāli]


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5. Comment: I also get tripped up chanting the fifth precept (Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 130). [Five Precepts] [Intoxicants] [Chanting] [Pāli]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Thai]


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7. Comment: We usually chant like that [a simple style] in primary school. It changes when we get to high school. [Culture/Thailand] [Chanting] [Pāli]

Response by Ajahn Pasanno.


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8. “Do you have any suggestions for audio support for chanting?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Dhamma online] [Chanting] [Pāli]

Reference: Abhayagiri Chanting Karaoke

Note: The recordings on this website come from the older 2010 Abhayagiri Chanting Book.


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9. “Are there any standards for the high and low tone marks?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno, Ajahn Ñāṇiko and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Chanting] [Pāli] // [Thai]