Divine Abidings (brahmavihārā)
Skillful qualities / Divine Abidings
Alternative translations: Mature emotions
Also a subtag of Meditation/Techniques
Subtags: Goodwill, Compassion, Empathetic joy, Equanimity
26 excerpts, 2:28:43 total duration

All excerpts (27) Most relevant (11) Questions about (9) Answers involving (16) Stories (1) Quotes (1) Texts (1)

Metta Retreat, Session 1 – Sep. 9, 2008

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2. “Can you speak a little about samatha/vipassana and explain the difference between serenity and equanimity?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Calming meditation] [Insight meditation] [Equanimity] // [Commentaries] [Ajahn Chah] [Relinquishment] [Liberation] [Concentration] [Divine Abidings] [Factors of Awakening] [Discernment]

Quote: “Samatha-vipassanā is like a green mango and a ripe mango. Same mango.” — Ajahn Chah. [Similes]


Metta Retreat, Session 2 – Sep. 10, 2008

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6. “Please explain how to cultivate muditā. I’ve heard it described as ‘poor man’s happiness.’” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Empathetic joy] [Happiness] // [Divine Abidings] [Jealousy] [Selfishness]


Metta Retreat, Session 3 – Sep. 11, 2008

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3. “The lovingkindness chant includes ‘May I abide in freedom from affliction.’ Why is affliction not included in the wish for all beings?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Goodwill] [Chanting] // [Divine Abidings] [Compassion]

Reference: Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 41.


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10. “What is upekkha – equanimity – and how does one practice it?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Equanimity] // [Kamma] [Conditionality] [Not-self] [Proliferation] [Divine Abidings] [Knowledge and vision] [Impermanence]

Reference: Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 55: Five Recollections


Metta Retreat, Session 5 – Sep. 13, 2008

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9. “Is gladness the same as thankfulness?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Empathetic joy] [Gratitude] // [Translation] [Divine Abidings]

Sutta: AN 6.10 Mahānāma [Recollection/Dhamma] [Gladdening the mind]


Abhayagiri Monastic Retreat 2013, Session 3 – Nov. 25, 2013

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5. “Sorry, I missed something. Did you say that instead of dwelling on our hindrances and getting depressed, we could instead work with the Factors of Enlightenment to brighten the mind? What are the Factors you would suggest?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Factors of Awakening] [Gladdening the mind] // [Divine Abidings] [Perfections] [Right Effort] [Hindrances]

Reflections on Unbinding as a translation of Nibbāna. [Nibbāna] [Translation] [Ajahn Ṭhānissaro]

Quote: “Practicing Dhamma is like taking a screwdriver and unscrewing something rather than putting the screwdriver in and tightening it up.” [Ajahn Chah] [Practicing in accordance with Dhamma] [Similes]


Abhayagiri Monastic Retreat 2013, Session 7 – Nov. 29, 2013

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10. “Mudita, gladness, joy, can be felt by listening to Dhamma, chanting, an uplifting shrine...I heard that mudita can be a moment or a way of enlightenment. Could you comment please.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Empathetic joy] [Gladdening the mind] [Liberation] // [Divine Abidings]


Questions and Answers with Dharma Realm Buddhist University – Nov. 18, 2014

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26. “What are the practicalities of metta practice? How does it relate to compassion?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Goodwill] [Compassion] // [Theravāda] [Divine Abidings] [Etymology]


2014 Thanksgiving Monastic Retreat, Session 4 – Nov. 25, 2014

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15. “Although in reasonable condition, I am realizing that fear / anxiety of death / non-becoming is pervasive in the background of my daily life. Does the Buddha speak to that which continues after the body dies? Other than the five recollections and contemplating impermanence, does he offer guidance on how to best prepare to greet ones own death? Thank you so much.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Fear] [Death ] [Rebirth] [Recollection] [Impermanence] // [Naturalness] [Spiritual urgency] [Clear comprehension] [Mindfulness of body] [Dispassion] [Divine Abidings] [Recollection/Devas] [Protective Meditations] [Factors of Awakening]

Quote: “The Dhamma is neither tall nor short, black nor white; it’s just right (por dee)” — Ajahn Kinaree. [Ajahn Kinaree] [Dhamma] [Middle Path]


Buddhist Identity in the Modern World – Aug. 15, 2015

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3. “Is there a way to get involved in controversial political issues and still maintain a correct [audio unclear]?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Politics and society] [Compassion] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Environment] [Buddhist identity] // [Learning] [Corruption] [Divine Abidings] [Depression] [Ill-will] [Equanimity]

Reference: The Heart of the Revolution by Noah Levine.


2015 Thanksgiving Monastic Retreat, Session 1 – Nov. 21, 2015

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1. “Equanimity...your thoughts?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Equanimity ] // [Divine Abidings] [Impermanence] [Kamma] [Conditionality] [Factors of Awakening]

Sutta: AN 5.57: Five Subjects for Frequent Recollection (Chanting Book translation)


2015 Thanksgiving Monastic Retreat, Session 4 – Nov. 24, 2015

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20. “Last night you spoke about balancing tranquility of mind with investigation or a theme for contemplation. Can you clarify how this can be accomplished without getting into the usual mind states of planning, associating, etc.?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Tranquility] [Investigation of states ] [Recollection ] [Proliferation] // [Impermanence] [Directed thought and evaluation] [Discernment] [Recollection/Death] [Visualization] [Divine Abidings]

Mistaken assumption: “I think, therefore I suffer. If I didn’t think, then I wouldn’t suffer.” [Suffering]

Commentary: Path of Purification by Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli, p. 104: Forty subjects of meditation.


2015 Thanksgiving Monastic Retreat, Session 5 – Nov. 25, 2015

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3. “You often talk about gladdening and lightening the mind. How do I do that?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Gladdening the mind ] // [Recollection] [Divine Abidings] [Empathetic joy] [Competitiveness] [Three Refuges] [Perception of light]


Suttas You've Never Heard Of, Session 2 – Jun. 25, 2016

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9. “I like the translations ‘conscience’ and ‘concern’ for hiri and otappa. Having done unskillful actions in the past that create suffering, and being aware of the tendency to personalize, how can it be over and done?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Treasures] [Conscience and prudence ] [Unskillful qualities] [Suffering] [Kamma] [Self-identity view] // [Four Noble Truths] [Divine Abidings]

Quote: “As a human being, I have the opportunity to learn from the past and move on to skillful action in the future. I don’t have to be like a dog that barfs stuff up and goes back and eats it again.” — Ajahn Pasanno. [Human] [Learning] [Skillful qualities] [Similes]

Quote: “The not-self refrain, ‘This is not me, this is not mine, this is not what or who I am,’ is not an abdication of responsibility but an understanding, ‘This is the way I can put things down and move on, move past the things that are still creating suffering.’” — Ajahn Pasanno. [Not-self] [Relinquishment]

Suttas: SN 42.8 The Conch Blower; AN 3.100: A Lump of Salt. [Divine Abidings]


Thanksgiving Retreat 2016, Session 2 – Nov. 20, 2016

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10. “Can you talk about working with the practice in what seems like perilous times?, e.g. the rise in overt expressions of hatred toward sectors of society and the associated change in national leadership? How does one cultivate equanimity while also not turning away?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Politics and society ] [Ill-will] [Equanimity ] // [Divine Abidings] [Goodwill] [Conflict] [Aversion] [Judgementalism] [King Rama IX]

Sutta: Dhp 5: Hatred is never overcome by hatred...


Love, Attachment, and Friendship, Session 1 – Oct. 12, 2019

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2. “Let’s say there’s someone causing harm and I wish them well-being. But in their mind, the harm they are causing brings them well-being. What kind of well-being am I wishing for them?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Goodwill] [Compassion] [Generosity] // [Divine Abidings]