Monastic life
Monastic life
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6. “When there is a lot of pain in the body, it is difficult to maintain “right effort,” yet sometimes through patient endurance the pain lessens or dissipates. Could you speak about right effort and the connection between right effort and samadhi?” [Pain] [Right Effort] [Patience] [Concentration] // [Skillful qualities] [Unskillful qualities] [Fear] [Aversion] [Discernment] [Naturalness]
Recollection: Ajahn Pasanno learned from pain and illness in his early monastic life. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Sickness] [Monastic life]
4. “If one were to become a monastic at Abhayagiri, how would one go about it? What are the day-to-day activities of a monk? What do I need to know and consider before making such a commitment?” [Monastic life] [Abhayagiri] // [Sequence of training] [Saṅgha decision making] [Mentoring] [Chanting] [Meditation] [Work] [Seclusion] [Shelter] [Cleanliness] [Building projects] [Robes]
1. “One of my lay insight mediation teachers said, 'The Western lay practitioner is an experiment in Buddhism.' What do you think? To me it seems our lay teachers are also an experiment.” [Culture/West] [Lay life] [Lay teachers] // [Monastic life] [Abhayagiri] [Sīladharā] [Culture/Thailand]
Quote: “Because the monastic presence is so strong in Asia, oftentimes people overlook the strength of the tradition of lay practice and lay teachers.” [Monastic life] [Cultural context]
Story: The Buddha tells Māra he will found the fourfold assembly (UD 6.1). [Buddha/Biography] [Māra] [Fourfold Assembly] [Stages of awakening] [Learning] [Monastic life]
11. “What is the most fun part about being a monk?” [Monastic life] [Happiness] // [Association with people of integrity]
10. “Would you share some of your personal journey, including the time before you became a monk, and why you became a monk, and how the holy life can help people grow and change?” [Ajahn Pasanno] [Monastic life/Motivation] [Monastic life] // [Culture/West] [Travel] [Culture/Thailand]
Story: Ajahn Pasanno begins meditation with a month-long Mahasi Sayadaw retreat. [Meditation retreats] [Mahasi Sayadaw] [Devotion to wakefulness] [Fierce/direct teaching]
Story: Ajahn Pasanno's first visit to Wat Pah Pong. [Ordination] [Ajahn Chah] [Wat Pah Pong]
Quote: “If you want to stay here, you have to stay at least five years.” — Ajahn Chah [Sequence of training]
Reflection: "Five years is five years. I'll go back and give myself to Ajahn Chah." — Ajahn Pasanno [Relinquishment] [Mentoring]
Quote: “There's no such thing as the ideal monastic or the ideal practitioner.” [Idealism] [Monastic life] [Lay life] [Faith] [Disrobing] [Suffering] [Energy] [Patience] [Long-term practice]
14. “Do you think being introduced to Buddhism guided you to the contemplative life or would you have become a monk in any tradition?” [Ajahn Pasanno] [Monastic life] [Spiritual traditions] // [Meditation]
Story: Ajahn Pasanno's aunt remembers that he said he wanted to be a priest when he was young. [Monastic life]
3. “Reflecting on your 35 years in robes, do you have any strong lessons that stand out?” [Ajahn Pasanno] [Christianity] [Monastic life] [Long-term practice] [Discernment] // [Patience] [Ajahn Chah] [Virtue] [Meditation retreats]
Quote: “Oftentimes we don't really recognize the goodness that we're doing.” [Perfectionism] [Judgementalism]
Quote: “Patience isn't just enduring. It's being able to be present with experience.” [Direct experience] [Present moment awareness]
1. Question about how Ajahn Chah taught to deal with people externally. [Community] [Ajahn Chah] // [Ajahn Mun] [Virtue] [Doubt] [Monastic life] [Views]
Story: A ghost tries to align the visitors sleeping in his hall. [Culture/Thailand] [Shelter] [Ghost] [Communal harmony]
Quote: “You have to have an anchor in your own practice.” [Similes]
9. Reading: Ajahn Chah's first Western disciple. [Ajahn Sumedho] [History/Western Buddhist monasticism] [Ajahn Chah] // [Military] [Humor] [Monastic life] [Wat Pah Pong]
Reference: Stillness Flowing by Ajahn Jayasaro, p. 486
4. Story: Ajahn Chah asks Ajahn Sumedho if he might go back to America as a monk. [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Sumedho] [Culture/West] [Monastic life] [Tudong] // [Almsfood] [History/Western Buddhist monasticism]
Quote: “You mean to say there are no kind people in America?” — Ajahn Chah to Ajahn Sumedho [Compassion]
14. “I travelled for six weeks in Thailand and India and found that time really shifted. Having been home about two months, even with a daily meditation practice, time speeds up. How is life at the monastery versus tudong, and what do you have to say to laypeople about the speeding up of time?” [Pace of life] [Culture/Thailand] [Culture/India] [Culture/West] [Tudong] [Everyday life] [Monastic life] // [Craving] [Devotional practice]
4. Story: Ajahn Chah struggles through lust with patience. [Ajahn Chah] [Sensual desire] [Patience] [Tudong] // [Ajahn Pasanno] [Human] [Meditation/Techniques] [Impermanence]
Quote: Ajahn Chah to biographer: “If you don't put that in the book, don't bother printing it.” [Dhamma books]
Quote: “If you ordain as a monk, your defilements ordain with you.” [Monastic life] [Unwholesome Roots]
7. “In the West, there are so many religious practices from the East. How do we relate to them all.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Spiritual traditions] [Hinduism] [Gradual Teaching] // [Buddha/Biography] [Teaching Dhamma]
Sutta: MN 95: Caṅkī Sutta [Conditionality] [Faith]
Quote: “I've been an abbot for thirty years, and I'm quite happy. One of the reasons I'm happy is I don't feel I have to go and convince anybody of anything.” — Ajahn Pasanno [Ajahn Pasanno] [Monastic life] [Happiness] [Contentment]
2. “Lottery numbers?...Is the problem that the monks have the right numbers so everyone flocks to them?” [Monastic life] [Psychic powers] [Right Livelihood]
3. “Everyone in our group is struggling with issues about livelihood. Does anyone here feel their livelihood is in tune?” Answered by Ajahn Yatiko and Ajahn Pasanno. [Work] [Idealism] // [Contentment] [Eightfold Path] [Kamma]
Quote: “Maybe it would be better phrased 'Right-enough livelihood.'” — Ajahn Karuṇadhammo [Right Livelihood]
Story: An upright career police officer in Thailand transfers in and out of a corrupt assignment. Told by Ajahn Pasanno. [Community] [Crime] [Corruption] [Family] [Precepts]
Comment by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo: Even monks face moral dillemas. [Monastic life] [Vinaya]
5. “What is your take on satisfaction, being in tune, and stagnation?” [Contentment] [Energy] [Ardency] // [Skillful qualities] [Discernment] [Buddha/Biography] [Spiritual search] [Right Effort]
Sutta: AN 2.5: Effort and noncontentment with wholesome states.
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
1. “Could you tell us how you became a monk?” [Ordination] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Monastic life/Motivation] // [Culture/Thailand] [Meditation]
Quote: “I stumbled into it.” [Monastic life]
1. “What do we do at the monastery? What happens on a daily basis?” [Monastic life] [Abhayagiri] // [Chanting] [Meditation] [Work] [Food] [Questions]
2. Comment: The more we become like monks and nuns, the more we will be helping the climate change situation. [Monastic life] [Environment]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Simplicity] [Contentment] [Generosity] [Human]
3. “Can you give some suggestions on dealing with betrayal in relationships?” [Relationships] [Sexual misconduct] [Trust] // [Spiritual friendship] [Faith] [Virtue] [Generosity] [Discernment] [Judgementalism] [Monastic life]
Sutta: Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 46: The Highest Blessings (Mangala Sutta, SN 2.4)
7. “Given the situation in Burma with Buddhist monks fomenting violence against Muslims, how do you determine whether to respond to that vocally or publically?” [History/Other Theravāda traditions] [Conflict] [Politics and society] [Monastic life] [Islam] [Right Speech] [Media] // [Military]
1. “What is the funeral protocol for monks? What about non-monastics in the West?” [Funerals] [Monastic life] [Lay life]
7. “In the chant '10 Subject for Frequent Recollection,' what does 'one who had gone forth' mean? Anyone on the path or only monastics?” [Recollection] [Monastic life]
6. “I find I do need some pleasures even thought they don't last, things like fine arts and being in nature. I'm curious, how did you manage as a monk in your early years at Ajahn Chah's monastery where there's almost no pleasure....How did you manage to keep going over the years until the present?” [Sensual desire] [Artistic expression] [Culture/Natural environment] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Monastic life] [Ajahn Chah] [Food] [Entertainment and adornment] [Monastic life/Motivation] // [Cessation of Suffering] [Happiness] [Simplicity] [Association with people of integrity] [Empathetic joy] [Human] [Hindrances] [Jhāna] [Virtue] [Discernment]
Quote: “One of the extraordinary perks of being a monk is that everyone tries to be good around you.”
Sutta: MN 36.32: "Why am I afraid of that happiness?" [Buddha/Biography] [Ascetic practices] [Suffering] [Skillful qualities] [Eightfold Path]
Quote: “As a monk, I can look back on forty years of living in a way where I don't have to feel remorseful or regret anything.”
7. “Did the Dhammayut/Mahanikai differences matter to serious practice monks?” [Thai sects] [Monastic life] // [Pāṭimokkha] [Saṅgha] [Ajahn Baen] [Ajahn Mun] [Ajahn Mahā Boowa]
3. “Was there some consistency around how Ajahn Chah taught monks in a large community and how he taught monks in a small community? It sounds like when there were eleven monks he was very involved.” [Ajahn Chah] [Monastic life] [Mentoring] // [Ageing]
4. “How do monks treat intestinal worms?” [Monastic life] [Health care] [Sickness] [Killing]
5. “It seems unusual for a monk to talk about his meditative attainments. Is this unusual or frowned upon?” [Monastic life] [Stages of awakening]
9. Discussion about the reality of dealing with training behaviors amongst a constantly changing population within the monastery. [Monastic life] [Protocols] [Cleanliness] // [Temporary ordination]
15. “A list of ten misconceptions about Buddhim in Tricycle magazine included 'All Buddhists meditate.' It said that historically this wasn't true. Is this accurate?” [Meditation] [History] [Culture/West] [Thai Forest Tradition] // [Monastic life] [Lay life] [Devotional practice] [History/Thai Buddhism]
16. “May I ask for your secret? [Why is Abhayagiri monastic training so often successful?]” [Sequence of training] [Abhayagiri] [Monastic life] // [Theravāda] [Simplicity] [Vinaya] [Culture/Thailand] [Ajahn Chah] [Middle Path] [Ajahn Mahā Boowa] [History/Western Buddhist monasticism] [Right Effort] [Compassion]
17. “Do American monks have a culture shock when they visit Thailand?” [Monastic life] [Culture/West] [Culture/Thailand] // [Wat Pah Nanachat]
9. “For all the monastics individually—when was the last time something made you really angry, and if you don't mind sharing, what was it? Just trying to feel the humanness within the robes. Thanks.” [Aversion] [Monastic life]
16. “Do the monks have any prescribed physical exercises / stretching that they do to keep limber and agile with all their sitting?” [Monastic life] [Excercise]
8. “A question for all the bhikkhus: Can you please recall a time when you were intensely attacked by the armies of Mara and had a lot of suffering and what did you do to overcome it? What strategy did you use or whether nothing worked at all and you just had to be patient with it and accept it? Thank you for your teaching.” [Monastic life] [Māra] [Suffering] [Patience]
1. “What are the rewards for the skillful monk?” [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. “A film came out recently called Monk with a Camera. How does one balance between pursuing one's artistic interests and sincerely following a path of relinquishment.” [Monastic life] [Renunciation] [Artistic expression] // [Self-identity view] [Relinquishment] [Entertainment and adornment] [Generosity] [Energy] [Devotional practice]
Story: Rev. Heng Sure uses music to teach Dhamma. [Rev. Heng Sure] [Teaching Dhamma]
Story: Two Abhayagiri monks learn icon painting from the abbot of the Ukrainian Uniate monastery next door. [Abhayagiri] [Ajahn Jotipālo] [Christianity]
1. Comment: Secular Buddhism is a new Buddhist identity. [Secular Buddhism] [Buddhist identity]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Abhayagiri] [Monastic life] [Culture/West] [Culture/Thailand]
8. “Is one of the benefits of being a monastic having to live up to people's expectations?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Monastic life] [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support] [Robes] [Buddhist identity] // [Conventions] [Christianity] [Idealism] [Culture/West] [Culture/Thailand]
6. “Do any of you who reside at the monastery vote in local or national elections? I also wonder if you get involved in public discussions on local policies as they pertain to or potentially affect the monastery?” [Monastic life] [Politics and society]
17. “Please say more about what a monastic retreat offers compared to an “ordinary” retreat. What are the differences?” [Monastic life] [Meditation retreats]
2. “How could you accomplish studying Buddhism in Thailand with Luang Por Chah? How did Luang Por Chah teach you as a you were a foreigner new monk? How did you cope with the language issue?” [Ajahn Pasanno] [Ajahn Chah] [Monastic life] [Language]
13. “When you're living on the precepts, how do I relate to (for example) a friend who tells me about an affair they are having?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Jotipālo. [Precepts] [Spiritual friendship] [Sexual misconduct] // [Skillful qualities] [Admonishment/feedback] [Discernment] [Right Speech] [Vinaya] [Abhayagiri]
Quote: “Don't admonish your fellow monks before the meal.” — Ajahn Chah. Quoted by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Monastic life] [Food] [Eating after noon]
4. “What do you do when there are ants at the monastery? Is there a way to get rid of them naturally without killing them? I had to get rid of some a week ago and witnessed 3 ants die somewhat painfully by what I used which caused both sadness and remorse in me and I don’t want to do it again. But what is “right action” (ie. the precepts) versus what is practical?” [Animal] [Killing] [Monastic life]
2. “I was wondering since you are a monk of 40 years, you are happy and mindful. How can you know of the issues, problems of people's’ lives in the current modern times? We are worried about Trump’s presidency!” [Monastic life] [Politics and society]
14. “Is it true that it’s bad or disrespectful to point one’s heel at a monk? I thought that I read or heard this somewhere. Sometimes I have felt the necessity to stretch out one leg or the other in the meditation hall, but as all the monastics sit up front, I feel that I will be pointing my heel at one monastic or another and I really don’t want to be disrespectful if this is so. Or is this worrying too much about conventions which causes suffering?” [Respect] [Monastic life] [Postures]
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] [Politics and society] // [Thai Ajahn Chah monasteries] [Military] [Conflict]
Story: Ajahn Pasanno spends time at a Cambodian refugee camp. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Preah Mahāghosānanda]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
22. Comment: Some of the things that monastics avoid due to their precepts can be really beautiful. [Monastic life] [Vinaya]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno.
26. “Do the monks give each other massages?” [Monastic life] [Health] // [Culture/Thailand]
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]
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]
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] [Monastic life] [Dhamma] [Vinaya] // [Recollection/Buddha]
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] [Monastic life] [Dhamma] [Vinaya] // [Recollection/Dhamma] [Faith]
3. “How do we expand our faith into other aspects of training?” [Faith] [Monastic life] [Dhamma] [Vinaya] // [Dependent origination] [Recollection/Buddha] [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Liem]
4. “Is vinaya about taking responsibility for your actions and mental states and how that affects other people?” [Monastic life] [Dhamma] [Vinaya] // [Dependent origination] [Recollection/Buddha]
5. “Can you talk about skillful means to become more sensitive to the nuances of monastic training?” [Monastic life] [Dhamma] [Vinaya] // [Requisites] [Mindfulness] [Respect for elders] [Upatakh]
1. “Can you talk about respect in the context of horizontal and vertical relationships in monastic life?” [Respect] [Respect for elders] [Monastic life] // [Conscience and prudence]
2. “Are their multiple levels of brahmacariyā (celibacy)?” [Celibacy] [Christianity] [Sensual desire] [Monastic life] // [Becoming]
Sutta: AN 7.50 Sexual Intercourse
3. “Can you speak to the development of respect for the symbols of monastic life as opposed to respect for individual teachers?” [Respect] [Teachers] [Monastic life] // [Almsbowl] [Buddha] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Ajahn Chah] [Human]
5. “Western culture seems to have no context for celibacy as a good thing.” [Celibacy] [Culture/West] [Monastic life] // [Christianity]
2. “How does the Vinaya encourage monks to keep rules?” [Vinaya] [Monastic life] // [Dhamma]
1. “What is the role of mentors and teachers in learning to use the monastic form skillfully?” [Teachers] [Mentoring] [Vinaya] [Monastic life] // [Saṅgha] [Ajahn Chah] [Wat Pah Pong] [Teaching Dhamma] [Long-term practice] [Ajahn Pasanno]
2. “Who were imporant mentors for you?” [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]
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] [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] [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.” [Monastic life] [Lay life] [Learning]
1. “What can we learn when we pay respects to mentors?” [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
2. “How many monks are with Luang Por Baen?” [Ajahn Baen] [Monastic life]
3. “What about senior monks who don't meet our expectations of conduct or practice?” [Respect for elders] [Monastic life] // [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Ajahn Mahā Boowa]
Sutta: AN 4.192 Facts
5. “Do you have any reflections on the "Do or die" attitude?” [Monastic life/Motivation] [Ardency] [Middle Path] [Monastic life]
6. “Can you talk about the dangers of misplaced or wrongly directed faith in a teacher?” [Faith] [Teaching Dhamma] [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.” [Discernment]
1. “How does upatakhing fit into our training and what can we learn from it?” [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]
2. “I assume at Abhayagiri the upatakh sleeps in his own dwelling place? (in contrast to the previous story of Ajahn Lee)” [Abhayagiri] [Upatakh] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] // [Sickness] [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Other Thai monastics]
3. “What is the value of living in community?” [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] // [Self-identity view] [Continuity of mindfulness] [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Tongrat] [Views] [Requisites] [Not handling money]
5. Comment: It's important for the Saṅgha to look after all members in terms of sickness and ageing. [Sickness] [Ageing] [Death] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha]
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]
1. “Why do upatakhs do things for their ajahns that the ajahns can do better themselves?” [Upatakh] [Monastic life] // [Self-identity view] [Generosity] [Relinquishment] [Culture/Thailand] [Culture/West]
2. “In Thailand, dāna (generosity) usually means giving food to a monk. But is dāna more of a mindset?” [Generosity] [Culture/Thailand] [Monastic life] // [Chanting] [Upatakh] [Wat Pah Pong] [Ajahn Chah] [Cleanliness]
3. “Can you talk about Ajahn Chah's use of bowing, communal pūjās, and chores?” [Ajahn Chah] [Chanting] [Saṅgha] [Work] [Monastic life] [Bowing] // [Becoming] [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support] [Respect for elders]
Story: A Westerner asks Ajahn Chah, "Why do we bow?"
4. “Can you clarify what "field of merit" means?” [Saṅgha] [Recollection/Saṅgha] [Generosity] [Recollection/Generosity] [Monastic life] [Merit]
5. “Why do we bow to images?” [Buddha images] [Bowing] [Monastic life] // [History/Early Buddhism] [Abhayagiri]
6. “What about relics?” [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.
1. “Ajahn Chah encouraged his monks to all come together for communal chores and stay until the chores are finished. Why is that?” [Ajahn Chah] [Work] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] // [Communal harmony] [Relinquishment] [Clinging] [Culture/West]
2. “What does morning pūjā contribute?” [Chanting] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] // [Devotion to wakefulness]
3. “Will practice as a group help us in solitude?” [Seclusion] [Meditation/General advice] [Community] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha]
4. “How do we balance solitude and communal aspects of practice?” [Seclusion] [Community] [Meditation/General advice] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] // [Ajahn Pasanno]
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]
6. “Is there a place to point out others' difficulties?” [Admonishment/feedback] [Right Speech] [Community] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] // [Ajahn Chah] [Teaching Dhamma]
7. “What is the role of admonishement? How do we admonish skillfully?” [Admonishment/feedback] [Right Intention] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] // [Respect for elders]
Story: Ajahn Amaro waits a year before giving feedback. [Ajahn Amaro]
8. “Does the proper timing of admonishment depend on the severity of the offense?” [Admonishment/feedback] [Vinaya] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha]
9. “When and how should one respond to offenses of middling severity?” [Admonishment/feedback] [Vinaya] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha]
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?” [Ajahn Chah] [Psychic powers] [Teaching Dhamma] [Mindfulness of body] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] [Bowing]
12. “Have you found it necessary to recommend psychotherapy or medication for monks who have deep-seated ruts of suffering?” [Western psychology] [Suffering] [Long-term practice] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] // [Ajahn Pasanno]
15. “Does the stability of monastic community help prevent spiritual bypassing?” [Spiritual bypass] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha]
16. Comment: When one visits different monasteries and sees the same thing happening over and over, it's harder to believe "It's not me." [Delusion] [Monastic life] [Saṅgha]
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]
1. “What is the purpose of dhutaṅga practices?” [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]
2. “How do we discern the benefit of dhutaṅga practices and how much is too much?” [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]
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?” [Determination] [Monastic life] [Ascetic practices] // [Ajahn Pasanno] [Moderation in eating] [Precepts]
4. “Can adhiṭṭhānas be made in a formal way?” [Determination] [Monastic life] [Ascetic practices]
5. Story: Ajahn Ñāṇiko takes on too many adhiṭṭhānas as an anagārika. Told by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Ajahn Ñāṇiko] [Determination] [Abhayagiri] [Monastic life] [Ascetic practices]
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?” [Delusion] [Craving] [Monastic life] [Ascetic practices] // [Ajahn Pasanno] [Faith] [Three Refuges] [Self-identity view]
7. “What is the importance of the brahmavihārās in balancing out dhutaṅga practices?” [Divine Abidings] [Monastic life] [Ascetic practices] // [Recollection/Buddha] [Gladdening the mind] [Attachment to rites and rituals] [Discernment] [Compassion] [Learning] [Arahant]
8. “What are the results of making good use of the ascetic practices?” [Monastic life] [Ascetic practices]