Part of tag cluster Proliferation in key topic Unskillful Qualities
Alternative translations: Objectification
Glosses: Thinking (unskillful)
Subtags: Craving, Views, Conceit
See also: Directed thought and evaluation
102 excerpts, 6:33:06 total duration
8. Story: When asked about the potential for sacred sexuality, Ajahn Chah picks his nose. Told by Ajahn Amaro. [Sensual desire] [Fierce/direct teaching] [Ajahn Chah] // [Insight Meditation Society]
Quote: “There’s nothing more to it than that except what your mind adds to it.” — Ajahn Chah [Proliferation]
6. “For most of the time on this retreat, I’ve tried to work with a persistent problem from a variety of angles, but as I work with it it seems to get worse; it seems obsessional. Any suggestions?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Meditation retreats] [Everyday life] [Goodwill] [Proliferation] // [Volitional formations] [Habits] [Spiritual friendship] [Patience]
6. “What are the characteristics of personality? Are they conditioned by kamma and our family, culture, and nationality? How do I learn not to take mine as truth and real?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Personality] [Conditionality] [Kamma] [Family] [Cultural context] [Self-identity view] // [Suffering] [Characteristics of existence] [Humor]
Recollection: Ajahn Chah tended to translate anicca as uncertain or not sure. [Ajahn Chah] [Impermanence] [Translation] [Proliferation] [Direct experience]
1. Guided meditation: Resolve right now is the time for training the mind and nothing else. From “The Key to Liberation” by Ajahn Chah. Read by Ajahn Pasanno. [Calming meditation] [Proliferation] [Determination] [Ajahn Chah] // [Mindfulness] [Discernment] [Mindfulness of breathing] [Body scanning] [Relinquishment] [Unification] [Restlessness and worry] [Concentration] [Present moment awareness] [Clear comprehension] [Impermanence] [Continuity of mindfulness] [Sense restraint]
Quote: “Sitting and walking meditation are in essence the same, differing only in the posture used.” [Posture/Sitting] [Posture/Walking]
Simile: Chicken in a coop. [Similes]
Simile: Mindfulness, clear comprehension, and wisdom are like three workers lifting heavy planks.
4. “When I’m mindful, then I become more aware of suffering. I could just go into story and not know that I’m suffering, so why would we choose to become aware of the suffering?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Mindfulness] [Suffering] [Proliferation] // [Cessation of Suffering] [Clinging]
Quote: “The flavor of the end of suffering—I like that.”
8. Comment: For me it is a question of whether I can believe it or not. It depends on where I place my mind. [Faith] [Science] [Emptiness] [Proliferation] [Deva] [Recollection/Devas] [Dalai Lama] [Death]
Response by Ajahn Yatiko. [Doubt] [Trust] [Tranquility]
1. “You spoke about recognizing that when the mind goes off into busyness that there’s not just that particular quality. Could you talk more about this?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Tranquility] [Proliferation] // [Appropriate attention] [Impermanence] [Knowing itself] [Ajahn Mun] [Ajahn Chah] [Clinging] [Suffering]
2. “You said that starting with chanting can help focus the mind. But I find myself daydreaming while chanting.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Chanting] [Tranquility] [Proliferation] // [Pāṭimokkha] [Energy]
Story: An elderly woman chants the Dhammacakka Sutta every day. [Ageing]
3. “How do we deal with the frustration that arises after repeatedly catching the busy mind?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Tranquility] [Proliferation] // [Perfectionism]
1. Comment: Even though I’ve seen the fruit of awareness in and of itself many times, the doubt is still so deeply embedded that there is not that place of letting go. [Knowing itself] [Doubt] [Clinging] [Relinquishment] [Tranquility] [Proliferation]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Faith]
Reference: “Goal-Oriented and Source-Oriented Practice,” Dhamma Talk by Ajahn Pasanno, August 10, 2013.
2. Comment: I have found your saying ‘Just don’t make a problem of it.’ very helpful. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Cessation of Suffering] [Tranquility] [Proliferation]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno.
3. “In the suttas, if you recognize a defilement like ill-will, you need to do something about it. How can we reconcile this with the Ajahn Chah teaching you just read (‘Receiving Visitors’ in In Simple Terms)?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Sutta] [Right Effort] [Ajahn Chah] [Tranquility] [Proliferation] // [Discernment]
Quote: “Practice is really easy. If the defilements come at you high, you duck, and if they come at you low, you jump over them.” — Ajahn Tongrat [Ajahn Tongrat] [Unwholesome Roots]
4. “Is there a state of the calm mind when you’re not thinking about anything or is meditation more about reflecting?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Directed thought and evaluation] [Recollection] [Tranquility] [Proliferation] // [Concentration] [Restlessness and worry] [Perfectionism] [Ardency]
5. “Sometimes the mind becomes peaceful, but a squiggle of restlessness often arises around 45 minutes when the meditation usually ends. What should I do with this habit?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Restlessness and worry] [Habits] [Tranquility] [Proliferation] // [Aversion] [Noting] [Happiness]
6. “Is it possible to replace the busy thoughts with more positive thoughts you’re trying to cultivate?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Directed thought and evaluation] [Tranquility] [Proliferation]
7. “How can we understand the last practice in MN 20 of gritting the jaw, etc.? I don’t think this will work for me.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Tranquility] [Proliferation]
8. Comment: When someone says they can’t meditate because they try to settle their mind and they realize how busy it is, I’ve encouraged them that now they are seeing the reflective quality of how their mind works. [Appropriate attention] [Tranquility] [Proliferation]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno.
9. “What attitude should we take when observing things so we don’t objectify them or make it stressful?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Perception] [Knowing itself] [Appropriate attention] [Suffering] [Tranquility] [Proliferation] // [Direct experience]
6. “I feel like a kid whose father has told a story and there is more to tell...Please father do tell (about non-complicated thoughts etc.).” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Proliferation]
8. “How do you decrease the times an obsessive thought arises in the mind?...What is obsession anyways?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Restlessness and worry] [Proliferation]
17. “Thank you for your inspiring teachings...Question: I seem to recollect that the Buddha cautioned against unwholesome thoughts in a way that seemed to raise their results as similar to their unwholesome causes. Is this so?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Proliferation] [Kamma] [Unskillful qualities]
1. “I see what you’re saying about the hindrances, but it seems like that’s everything I called my life....So you’re saying keep on working at it and it [the mind] gets used to focusing?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Hindrances] [Proliferation] [Meditation] // [Mindfulness] [Goodwill] [Recollection/Virtue] [Recollection/Generosity] [Gladdening the mind]
5. “With investigating sleep, it seems sleeping less is an effect from good meditation practice rather than a cause; is it because there is less proliferation?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Devotion to wakefulness] [Conditionality] [Proliferation] // [Craving not to become] [Sloth and torpor] [Habits] [Ardency] [Energy]
1. “I am curious about ways to know if one is lying to oneself and what to do?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Truth] [Delusion] // [Suffering] [Discernment] [Bases of Success]
Recollection: Ajahn Chah said the fastest way to enlightenment is to look directly at the mind, point your finger, and say “Liar!” [Ajahn Chah] [Liberation] [Proliferation]
5. “Did Ajahn Chah ever tell a student to study?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Learning] // [Eightfold Path] [Study monks] [Practicing in accordance with Dhamma]
Quote: “These are not absolute statements. When Ajahn Chah says something, he’s pointing. He just doesn’t work that way. And we take it as an absolute.” [Teaching Dhamma] [Proliferation]
Story: Ajahn Chah monks who became study monks. [Ajahn Bunjong] [Ajahn Mahā In]
13. “How do I keep the mind from proliferating about what happens after death?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Recollection/Death] [Rebirth] [Proliferation] // [Progress of insight]
2. “The citta is sometimes defined as pure awareness, and it being in the fourth khanda, but it sounds like here he’s talking about the activity of awareness?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Heart/mind] [Knowing itself] [Volitional formations] // [Rebirth]
Quote: “There is that which is beyond birth and death. And then you start asking, ‘Well, what is it and how is it? How should it be?’ It’s just the same as in the Sabbāsava Sutta (MN 2.7)...As soon as you get into conceiving, you’ve already started the process of dukkha.” [Unconditioned ] [Proliferation] [Conceit] [Suffering]
Follow-up: “So is it better to hear what he said and let it go when I notice awareness that’s good, but I don’t have to make anything out of it?”
Quote: “The investigation is not a conceiving. The best investigation is when the mind is exceedingly still and not conceiving, not creating concepts.” [Discernment] [Concentration]
Follow-up: “So is it a realizing, not a conceiving?” [Knowledge and vision]
1. Biography and role of Ajahn Liem. [Ajahn Liem ] [Thai Forest Tradition] // [Wat Pah Pong] [Ajahn Chah] [Abbot] [Ajahn Sumedho] [Leadership]
Quote: “He’s in the middle of all of this duty and projection. Whatever comes his way, he doesn’t pick up any of it. It’s quite delightful to be around him.” [Proliferation]
6. “When I practice mindfulness of breathing, thought arises. Do I want to eliminate thinking?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Right Concentration] [Directed thought and evaluation] [Proliferation] [Mindfulness of breathing] // [Nature of mind] [Self-identity view] [Discernment] [Mindfulness of mind] [Investigation of states] [Relinquishment]
7. Comment: My mind will fill with chatter, stuff I’m not interested in. What I’ve come to do is just say, ‘This is a chaotic mind.’ [Proliferation] [Mindfulness of mind] [Mindfulness of breathing]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno.
3. Comment: I tend to make things harder for myself. I come up with some big projections. [Proliferation] [Mindfulness of breathing]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Teaching Dhamma] [Simplicity] [Buddha]
5. Comment: My mind goes away, and I’m lost in a story. But if I sit and don’t move, eventually when I come back I realize the body is really settled and I can tune in to that. [Proliferation] [Tranquility] [Mindfulness of breathing]
10. “When you contemplate, ‘Who is thinking? Who is breathing?’ how does thid differ from thinking? Why doesn’t it generate more thought?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Hua tou] [Directed thought and evaluation] [Proliferation] [Mindfulness of breathing] // [Insight meditation] [Tranquility] [Restlessness and worry]
Quote: “The mind can still think and be peaceful. What a concept!”
21. “How do you not objectify this awareness?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Knowing itself] [Mindfulness] [Proliferation] // [Four Noble Truths] [Suffering] [Relinquishment] [Investigation of states]
Quote: “If you objectify awareness, you’re going to suffer.” [Proliferation] [Nature of mind]
Quote: “These Four Noble Truths are not an endpoint, they are something that you’re internalizing and using in your meditation practice and in your daily life.” [Meditation] [Everyday life]
14. “Could you please speak a bit about karma and volition? For instance, if an unwholesome thought such as anger, or fear arises or wants to arise of its own accord in the mind, does one get unwholesome karma? Or is the bad karma produced only through the grasping or rejection of it? Or is bad karma produced only if action is taken? Or are different kinds of karma produced for thought vs. action?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Kamma ] [Volition] [Proliferation] [Clinging] [Right Action] // [Pāli] [Translation]
4. “I find the mind especially distractable during meal times. Partly this reflects longstanding habits of talking, reading, listening to news, etc, while eating. In the retreat context, it’s also due to the heightened ‘social’ aspect of meal time (even though in silence). Can you give some suggestions for staying more present and mindful while eating? A deep bow of gratitude for your wonderful teachings…” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Food ] [Proliferation] [Habits] [Meditation retreats] [Present moment awareness] // [Mindfulness of body] [Sensual desire] [Perception] [Nutriment]
9. “I have an autoimmune disorder of undiagnosed origin. I was wondering if it was worth this precious time of practice to send mettā and thoughts of healing to the body. If so, how do you recommend approaching it? Also, is this compatible with seeing this ailment as a heavenly messenger (and as a contemplation of the body’s demise)? As symptom management reduces it to a mild physical irritation should I also contemplate unpleasant feelings? Or is it best to just stay grounded in the breath and mettā and not risk proliferation. Much gratitude.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Sickness] [Mindfulness of feeling] [Recollection/Death] [Proliferation] [Goodwill]
14. “My relationship with my kids can be so contentious and draining—so different than I thought it would be. How can I love and train them even though it seems they were born to resist these things?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Family] [Children] [Conflict]
Reflection from Ajahn Chah: “Ducks should really be more like chickens.” [Ajahn Chah] [Cause of Suffering] [Proliferation] [Humor]
11. “How can one investigate without getting the mind too active? I find that when I try to investigate or reflect, my mind gets so active that I find myself getting caught up in it. Thank you.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Investigation of states ] [Recollection] [Proliferation] // [Clear comprehension] [Faith] [Noble Truth of Suffering] [Conditionality] [Impermanence]
15. “My body does not physically handle sitting or stationary positions for long periods of time. I would like to do more walking meditation. Walking has a lot more distractions. Can you give some specifics on where to put my focus? Rise and fall of breath, feet, skeleton moving? Where to look, etc. Is it possible to achieve the same level of calmness, concentration and insights when the body is moving and you cannot close the eyes or keep focus on one spot?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Posture/Walking] [Proliferation] [Calming meditation] [Insight meditation]
2. “Thank you for all of your thoughtful and pragmatic meditation tips. Do you have advice regarding the future-oriented mind? Speculation, planning, considering, obsessing really, about scenarios. Normal ideas are not working.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Restlessness and worry] [Proliferation] // [Mindfulness of breathing] [Mindfulness of body] [Goodwill]
1. “Is it easy for a person with attainments to deal with the world?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Stages of awakening] [Everyday life] // [Discernment] [Conceit] [Culture/West] [Wrong concentration]
Quote: “To push away the world is also to reifying it. One gives it power when one is afraid of it.” [Craving not to become] [Proliferation] [Fear]
Laypeople with highly developed meditation practice function well in the world. Comment by Ajahn Ñāṇiko. [Lay life] [Meditation/Results] [Energy]
3. “Is seeing metaphysical principles the same as making something into a concept?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Nature of the cosmos] [Proliferation] // [Views]
Sutta: DN 1: Brahmajāla Sutta.
[Session] [Proliferation] [Perception]
Reading: MN 18: Madhupiṇḍika Sutta, The Honeyball.
Reading: “Categorical Answers,” Skill in Questions by Ajahn Ṭhānissaro, p. 85.
Reading: AN 8.30: “Anuruddha.”
1. Discussion of the meaning of papañca in AN 8.30 and various other suttas. [Pāli] [Translation] [Proliferation] [Perception] // [Great disciples] [Liberation] [Conditionality] [Directed thought and evaluation] [Language]
Suttas: Sn 4.11: Pāsāṇa and DN 21: Sakkapañha Sutta in which papañca precedes thinking.
Reference: Skill in Questions by Ajahn Ṭhānissaro, p. 85.
Suttas: MN 19: Dvedhāvitakka Sutta; MN 20: Vitakkasaṇṭhāna Sutta.
Reference: Concept and Reality in Early Buddhist Thought by Bhante Ñāṇananda
[Session] [Proliferation] [Perception]
Reading: MN 18: Madhupiṇḍika Sutta, The Honeyball.
Reading: “The Perceptual Process,” p. 222-223, 225-226 in Satipaṭṭhāna: The Direct Path to Realization by Venerable Analayo.
1. Comparison of causality in MN 18 and dependent origination. Teaching by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Conditionality] [Dependent origination] [Proliferation] [Perception] // [Similes] [Suffering]
2. Translation of phassapaññattiṃ paññāpessatīti (manifestation, delineation). Teaching by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo, Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Kaccāna. [Pāli] [Translation] [Proliferation] [Perception] // [Bhikkhu Bodhi] [Commentaries] [Ajahn Ṭhānissaro]
3. Comment: Dependent origination is not necessarily time-based. [Dependent origination] [Conditionality] [Proliferation] [Perception]
Response by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo.
4. “Can one sense-bases that starts the proliferation process lead to different sense-bases?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo and Ajahn Pasanno. [Sense bases] [Conditionality] [Proliferation] [Perception] // [Feeling] [Heart/mind]
5. Examples of signs and secondary characteristics of sense objects? Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo and Ajahn Pasanno. [Sense bases] [Proliferation] [Perception] // [Ven. Analayo] [Sensual desire] [Conditionality] [Food] [Appropriate attention]
Sutta: Thig 14.1: Subhā.
Comment about the feedback loop of perceptions looking for reinforcing perceptions. [Views] [Clinging]
Quote: “The underlying tendency to aversion is like a search engine.” — Ajahn Sucitto. Quoted by Beth Steff. [Ajahn Sucitto] [Aversion] [Similes]
5. “I wanted to confirm that we’re also not putting this self on other objects like the redness belonging to the rose.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Proliferation] [Not-self]
Quote: “It makes me suffer when those roses turn black and they’re still on the shrine...which happens all the time!” [Ajahn Pasanno] [Abhayagiri] [Devotional practice] [Impermanence]
11. Comment: Before I get to all that [deep reflection on not-self], in the meantime I thing of Luang Por Sumedho’s saying, ‘Every time I think of myself, I get depressed.’ [Ajahn Sumedho] [Self-identity view] [Depression] [Not-self]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno. [Five Precepts]
Quote: “It’s difficult but it’s not that complicated. The Buddha’s teachings go against the grain of our conditioning and habits, but the essence of it is quite simple.” [Proliferation] [Right Effort] [Craving] [Simplicity] [Practicing in accordance with Dhamma]
5. “Do you have any advice for obsessive thoughts, thinking the same thing again and again?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Proliferation] [Hindrances] // [Investigation of states] [Mindfulness of body]
3. “This morning you talked about crossing the floods of obsessive thought by not holding on to or pushing them away. I get that, but it feels like there’s something missing – a hole that needs to be filled up with something – a solution?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Proliferation] [Becoming]
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.
9. “In this afternoon’s talk, Ajahn Karunadhammo mentioned the benefits of the bhava that results from practice or the Eightfold Path, but he described a consciousness that doesn’t land in or on a self and results in freedom. Is that a consciousness that results in neither arising nor non-arising. Could you elaborate? The moment between in and out breaths seems to hold potential for this kind of consciousness.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Eightfold Path] [Becoming] [Unestablished consciousness] [Self-identity view] [Liberation] [Mindfulness of breathing] // [Proliferation] [Consciousness] [Relinquishment] [Fear]
Quote: “You want to pay attention to the experience rather than the idea about it.” [Direct experience] [Proliferation]
Suttas: DN 11.85, MN 49.25: Consciousness luminous all around.
Sutta: SN 12.64: Simile of the western wall. [Similes]
9. “The Buddha said that vedana is either pleasant, unpleasant, or neither. Contemplating papañca, I noticed that it felt comfortable – familiar and unthreatening. Would a better way to ‘neither pleasant nor unpleasant’ be ‘comfortable’ rather than ‘neutral?’” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Feeling] [Proliferation] [Neutral feeling]
11. “It seems I can quiet my mind easier in the midst of noise. It’s been one continuous monkey mind. Please help. Would you give a guided meditation towards jhana please?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Calming meditation] [Proliferation] [Jhāna]
13. “The Asavas: Why does the mind leave (“go out”) its still center?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Outflows] [Proliferation]
12. “I believed this to be a “silent meditation retreat”. Please reiterate that to my thinking mind. It’s not listening!” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Proliferation]
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]?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Directed thought and evaluation] [Proliferation] [Present moment awareness] // [Mindfulness] [Tranquility]
1. “How do we make sense of the whirlpool of assumptions?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Proliferation] [Clinging] // [Discernment] [Perception] [Impermanence] [Ajahn Chah] [Views]
Quote: “Welcome to the human existence.” [Human]
11. Comment: I’m improving my skill at seeing the greed or aversion when there are pleasant or unpleasant feelings, but I often don’t see the neutral feeling state so clearly. [Mindfulness of feeling] [Feeling] [Unwholesome Roots] [Neutral feeling] [Delusion] // [Mindfulness of body] [Restlessness and worry] [Fear] [Present moment awareness]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno.
Quote: “That whereby one is a conceiver of the world, a perceiver of the world, that is the world.” — SN 35.116 [Nature of the cosmos] [Proliferation] [Perception]
1. Quote: “The kindest thing you can do for your parents is to not create them.” — Ajahn Sumedho. Quoted by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Sumedho] [Parents] [Goodwill] [Cessation] [Not-self] // [Amaravati] [Sīladharā] [Proliferation]
12. Comment: These days Ajahn Sumedho is on fire teaching Dhamma. [Ajahn Sumedho ] [Teaching Dhamma] // [Amaravati] [Ageing]
Quote: “He’s not talking a lot about the details. He’s talking about the essence. It’s very beautiful.” [Liberation] [Knowledge and vision] [Simplicity] [Proliferation]
Note: As of mid-2024, Ajahn Sumedho continues to give weekly Dhamma talks available on Amaravati’s YouTube channel.
Reflection: Ajahn Chah is the inspiration for all of us. [Ajahn Chah] [Faith] [Respect for elders] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Knowing itself]
Quote: “If buffaloes can learn, surely these farangs [foreigners] can learn.” — Ajahn Chah [Western Ajahn Chah lineage]
8. “Can building a continuous narrative regarding impermanence hinder the perception of beauty?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Impermanence] [Proliferation] [Perception] [Beauty]
Quote: “It’s not about finding a perfect position that you can be in. What you’re doing is finding a place of balance that you’re not shaken by anything.” [Proliferation] [Middle Path] [Equanimity]