Saṅgha (Monastic community)
Renunciant practice / Monastic life / Saṅgha
Part of tag cluster Saṅgha in key topic The Three Refuges
Part of tag cluster Monastic community in key topic Monastic Life
Glosses: Monastic community
Also a subtag of Three Refuges
Subtags: Fourfold Assembly, Communal harmony, Principles of Cordiality, Monastery organizational structure, Saṅgha decision making, Abbot
See also: Recollection/Saṅgha
58 excerpts, 5:02:41 total duration

All excerpts (58) Most relevant (44) Questions about (27) Answers involving (12) Stories (9) Quotes (6)

Metta Retreat, Session 4 – Sep. 12, 2008

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1. “Realized beings abound these days. Care to comment? When the conditions are conducive and the inquiry is in earnest, is it possible to wake up quickly?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Stages of awakening] [Saṅgha] [Progress of insight] [Ardency] [Conditionality] // [Patience] [Ajahn Pasanno]

Quote: “Buddhism hasn’t come to America yet.” — Ajahn Chah [Ajahn Chah] [Culture/West] [Insight Meditation Society]


Thai Forest Tradition, Session 1 – Jun. 14, 2014

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17. “One of the great gifts I’ve received over the last few years spending more time with the Bhikkhu Saṅgha is a sense of devotion, how it opens the heart. Is there a Pāli word or teaching around that principle?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Devotional practice] [Saṅgha] [Gratitude] [Pāli] [Thai Forest Tradition] // [Faculties] [Faith] [Energy]


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

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13. “Is the decision to ordain a novice by democratic vote?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Sequence of training] [Abhayagiri] [Saṅgha] [Saṅgha decision making] // [Vinaya] [History/Early Buddhism]


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15. “How often does the community reject someone who wants to go forth?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Sequence of training] [Abhayagiri] [Saṅgha] [Saṅgha decision making] // [Vinaya]


Teen Weekend 2017 – Sep. 2, 2017

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1. “What meaningful impact do Buddhist monks have on the community?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life] [Mutual lay/Saṅgha support ] [Community] [Saṅgha] // [Culture/West] [Culture/Thailand] [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Wat Pah Nanachat] [Lunar observance days] [Abhayagiri]

Story: Ajahn Pasanno’s first visit to Wat Pah Pong. [Wat Pah Pong] [Saṅgha] [Temporary ordination] [Thai Ajahn Chah monasteries]


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2. “How closely do you and the other monks live together?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life] [Saṅgha] [Abhayagiri] // [Ajahn Chah] [Communal harmony ] [Vinaya] [Seclusion] [Culture/West] [Culture/Thailand] [Monastic routine]

Quote: “Human beings. Those are beings with issues.” — Ajahn Chah [Human] [Conflict]


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29. “Do monastics talk with each other about the precepts they have broken or having wrong thoughts?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Monastic life] [Vinaya] [Saṅgha] [Christianity] // [Pāṭimokkha] [Confession] [Rains retreat] [Learning] [Abhayagiri] [Faith]


The Teaching and the Training, Session 6 – 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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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. [Saṅgha ] [Wat Pah Nanachat] [History/Western Buddhist monasticism]


The Teaching and the Training, Session 7 – Mar. 23, 2018

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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]


The Teaching and the Training, Session 8 – 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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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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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 New Ajahn Chah Biography, Session 2 – Apr. 21, 2018

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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]