Precepts (sikkhāpada)
Precepts (sikkhāpada)
2. “What happens when someone carefully builds the fire, but it turns into a forest fire–uncontrollable–and the person experiences mania, delusions, and paranoia? What is the spiritual treatment?” [Mental illness] [Delusion] // [Precepts] [Association with people of integrity] [Generosity] [Becoming] [Medicinal requisites] [Thai] [Work]
Quote: “One of the first spiritual treatments is to get them to stop meditating.” [Meditation]
Recollection: Ajahn Pasanno learned by experience that meditation is not a panacea. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Wat Pah Nanachat]
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]
9. “For me, the practice starts with concentration to get to a place of well-being. Is there a missing piece here?” [Concentration] [Happiness] // [Cultural context] [Generosity] [Precepts] [Culture/West] [Western psychology] [Meditation]
Quote: “It is helpful to get a picture of the whole path and realize how integrated and mutually nourishing those path factors are.” [Eightfold Path] [Practicing in accordance with Dhamma]
19. “What suggestions do you have when thoughts of transgression of sila arise. I cannot change the past, but I have regrets.” [Precepts] [Restlessness and worry]
2. “During retreats I sometimes have dreams in which my actions are unskillful. Does one eventually keep the precepts even in dreams?” [Precepts] [Dreams]
18. “How do we take refuge in awareness (Buddho) in daily life?” [Buddha] [Recollection/Buddha] [Knowing itself] [Continuity of mindfulness] [Everyday life] // [Precepts] [Mindfulness] [Discernment] [Recollection] [Clear comprehension] [Right Effort] [Seclusion] [Nature of mind] [Proliferation] [Culture/Thailand]
Sutta: MN 10: Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta
Note: In the answer to this question, Ajahn Pasanno equates awareness with mindfulness.
Quote: “The literal meaning of Buddho is 'the one who knows,' but it's also being the one who knows, where you have the opportunity for us to be that knowing.”
11. “Is sexuality and wanting an intimate connection with another considered a negative desire?” [Sensual desire] [Relationships] [Desire] [Unskillful qualities] // [Food] [Clear comprehension] [Compassion] [Selfishness] [Discernment] [Precepts] [Trust]
Quote: “It's not so much a matter of thwarting desire, but understanding how desire works so we can build those bonds of trust and care.”
2. “What did the Buddha think following his teachings should mean or entail?” [Three Refuges] [Precepts] [History/Western Buddhism] [Buddhist identity] // [Virtue] [Lay life] [Faith] [Generosity] [Association with people of integrity] [Hearing the true Dhamma] [Learning] [Practicing in accordance with Dhamma] [Conceit]
Sutta: AN 8.26 Jīvaka Sutta
6. Comment about the expectations people may have of Buddhists. [Precepts] [Virtue] [Idealism] [Buddhist identity]
Story: An American asks Ajahn Chah why there are so many thieves in Thailand. Told by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Culture/West] [Culture/Thailand] [Stealing]
7. Comments about the positive reputation of Buddhism in the West. [Culture/West] [Precepts] [Idealism] [Buddhist identity]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno.
18. Story: A woman likes Buddhist teachings and principles, follows the precepts, and meditates, but hates when people identify with this and call themselves Buddhist. Told by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Dhamma] [Precepts] [Meditation] [Aversion] [Buddhist identity] [Clinging] [Self-identity view]
1. “What are the consequences of breaking a precept?” [Precepts]
1. Story: A man in an airport asks Ajahn Chah, "If everyone is Buddhist, why are there so many thieves in Thailand?" [Ajahn Chah] [Culture/Thailand] [Stealing] [Virtue] [Precepts]
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]
16. “Could you share some teaching about protecting qualities of the Dhamma and how I can feel less fear while keeping the precepts?” [Dhamma] [Virtue] [Fear] [Precepts]
18. “For the sake of the precepts, what's the definition of gossip?” [Precepts] [Malicious speech] [Idle chatter]
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]
1. “Why are the precepts worded as things not to do rather than as aspirations?” [Precepts] [Vinaya] // [Dhamma]
Quote: “You can't mandate goodness.” [Precepts]
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]
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]
13. “Can you talk about evolution and growth in regards to the precepts as opposed to just following rules?” [Five Precepts] [Precepts] [Attachment to rites and rituals] // [Pāli] [Etymology] [Learning] [Suffering] [Doubt] [Self-identity view]
7. Reading: Stillness Flowing by Ajahn Jayasaro, p. 647-648 "Por Am" [Ajahn Chah] // [Right Livelihood] [Views] [Intoxicants]
Story: Ajahn Chah teaches Por Am herbal medicine so he can avoid killing animals. [Culture/Thailand] [Food] [Precepts] [Medicinal requisites] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Health care] [Lunar observance days]
Quote: “It's not possible to defeat the Dhamma, you know, and that's why you fainted.” — Ajahn Chah to Por Am [Dhamma]
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?” [Culture/Thailand] [Thai Forest Tradition] [Culture/West] [Virtue] [Right View] // [Generosity] [Meditation] [Precepts] [Guilt/shame/inadequacy] [Happiness]
1. “Do you feel metta is to be developed or do you feel metta is just an outcome of your life and your practice?” [Goodwill] [Right Effort] [Conditionality] // [Meditation] [Precepts] [Calming meditation] [Suffering] [Aversion] [Appropriate attention] [Gratitude]
2. Comment: I appreciate how the reading (On Love by Ajahn Jayasaro) describes the foundation of love as a commitment to sīla, moral conduct, and shared values. This makes explicit the idea that the marriage vows are like the precepts. This is a moving idea of love and marriage that resonates with my own marriage. [Ajahn Jayasaro] [Goodwill] [Virtue] [Relationships] [Precepts] // [Clinging] [Service]
3. Comment: Practicing meditation, keeping precepts, and developing metta for myself help me love others more and more, but it isn't easy. [Goodwill] [Meditation] [Precepts]
3. “Did vibhavatanha arise in any of the monks at the loss of the Buddha? How do we notice vibhavatanha in practice, and what is a wise and compassionate response?” [Craving not to become] [Death] [Grief] [Sutta] [Buddha/Biography] // [Stream entry] [Stages of awakening] [Recollection/Dhamma] [Three Refuges] [Precepts] [Spiritual friendship] [Devotional practice] [Suffering]
Sutta: DN 16: Mahāparinibbāna Sutta [Nibbāna]
Story: The funeral of a close Wat Pah Nanachat supporter. [Funerals] [Wat Pah Nanachat]
10. Comment by Ajahn Pasanno: Throughout the whole teaching (DN 16) there is the sense of the ordinary and the transcendant together all the time. [Conventions] [Unconditioned] [Sutta] [Buddha/Biography] // [Nature of mind] [Ceremony/ritual] [Precepts] [Meditation] [Devotional practice] [Middle Path] [Release]
Sutta: Aniccā vata saṅkhārā... (SN 6.15) [Cessation] [Happiness] [Recollection/Peace]