Impermanence (4) Suffering (5) Fear (2) Sickness (2) Ageing (1) Death (5) Grief (4)
Quote: “There’s just suffering arising and passing away.” — Ajahn Chah. Read by Kittisaro. [Suffering] [Impermanence ] [Ajahn Chah] // [Mindfulness] [Clear comprehension] [Discernment] [Birth] [Death] [Continuity of mindfulness]
Remembering Ajahn Chah Weekend (2001), Session 2, Excerpt 3.2
Comments about uncertainty, impermanence, and denial of the reality of one’s own death. [Impermanence ] [Culture/West] [Heedfulness] [Virtue] [Death] [Recollection/Death]
Response by Ajahn Pasanno.
Death and Dying (2014), Session 1, Excerpt 12
“When that flower is new, if we’re aware of its impermanence and we accept that and we know that it’s coming, is there any reason not to love the flower, appreciate its beauty, and accept it as a blessing?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Impermanence ] [Beauty]
Quote: A group of experienced Western Buddists ask Ajahn Chah about Right View. He replies, “Right View is knowing that this cup is broken.” [Ajahn Chah] [Right View]
Interreligious Retreat-Seminar on Dhamma and Non-duality (2023), Session 1, Excerpt 2
“Do you understand impermanence as the phenomena of a river flowing or as a light being turned on and off as Bhikkhu Analayo describes?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Impermanence ] [Ven. Analayo] [Similes] // [Pāli] [Translation] [Ajahn Ṭhānissaro] [Ajahn Chah]
Thanksgiving Retreat 2016, Session 7, Excerpt 23
Quote: “If the tears don’t come, we don’t really accept truth.” — Ajahn Chah. Read by Kittisaro. [Suffering ] [Truth] [Ajahn Chah] // [Compassion] [Wat Pah Pong] [Cessation of Suffering]
Remembering Ajahn Chah Weekend (2001), Session 2, Excerpt 3.5
“I’ve wondered for some time how to put together (a) birth, aging, and death are dukkha and (b) the cause of dukkha as craving. Is it correct to say that the source of dukkha is in the mind (i.e., craving)? If so, what does it mean to say that birth, aging, and death—facts that we don’t control and can’t change—are dukkha? Thank you for your generosity and wisdom.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Suffering ] [Cause of Suffering] [Craving] [Noble Truth of Suffering] // [Human]
2014 Thanksgiving Monastic Retreat, Session 5, Excerpt 17
“Thank you for your uplifting and encouraging talks. My husband died 6 months ago. Could you give suggestions for how to contemplate anicca and anatta in the context of his life, illness, and death? I’m aware of aversion to the pain of losing him. I do want to learn from all this.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Impermanence] [Not-self] [Sickness] [Death] [Relationships] [Aversion] [Suffering ] // [Naturalness] [Grief] [Gratitude] [Merit] [Compassion]
Abhayagiri Monastic Retreat 2013, Session 2, Excerpt 11
“When everything goes the way you want and you are about to retire, but you feel a subtle, barely detectable dissatisfaction, and you’re not sure why. What specific things should you do besides ordaining and becoming a monk?” Answered by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Suffering ] [Lay life] [Retirement] // [Saṃsāra] [Clinging] [Cause of Suffering] [Relinquishment]
Advice from an aged elder: “I think you should follow the Eightfold Path.” — Bhante Dharmawara [Bhante Dharmawara] [Eightfold Path] [City of Ten Thousand Buddhas] [Health care]
Abhayagiri 25th Anniversary Retreat (2021), Session 12, Excerpt 1
“When you go into your body to feel the underlying emotion behnd a thought, what happens when the bodily feeling is so uncomfortable that you really don’t want to feel it?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Mindfulness of body] [Emotion] [Directed thought and evaluation] [Suffering ] [Aversion] [Fear] // [Recollection/Buddha] [Recollection/Saṅgha] [Recollection/Virtue] [Faith]
Follow-up: “It seems really difficult to think of Dhamma or the refuges while in such a wrapped-up state. I don’t know if I could do that.” [Noble Truth of Suffering] [Visualization] [Goodwill] [Compassion]
Two Kinds of Thought and the Removal of Distracting Thoughts (2017), Session 2, Excerpt 4
“Can you talk about fear as a cause of dukkha and how to work with it?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Fear ] [Suffering] // [Unwholesome Roots] [Abhidhamma] [Delusion] [Mindfulness of body] [Continuity of mindfulness] [Biases]
Quote: “In terms of personality, [fear] was my go-to option.” [Ajahn Pasanno] [Personality]
Madison Insight Retreat 2023, Session 2, Excerpt 18
“What could I to to help myself fear death less?” Answered by Ajahn Ñāṇiko and Ajahn Pasanno. [Fear ] [Death] // [Virtue] [Restlessness and worry] [Truth] [Stream entry] [Impermanence] [Recollection/Death] [Present moment awareness] [Recollection/Virtue] [Self-identity view]
Abhayagiri 25th Anniversary Retreat (2021), Session 5, Excerpt 11
“I am so grateful for your generous teachings. I am training my mind and am so glad for the dhamma in my life. However, I am experiencing migraine attacks almost daily, and therefore therefore a lot of uncertainty and dukkha. “Will I be able to function today?” “How bad will it be?” “Will I throw up?” “Which medicine will be the most beneficial today?” “Which side effects can I deal with today?” Working with my mind under these conditions is challenging, but I am up for the challenge, at least some of the time. I could use some encouragement, please.” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Sickness ] [Suffering] // [Gladdening the mind] [Compassion] [Patience] [Idealism]
Thanksgiving Retreat 2016, Session 2, Excerpt 4
“I have a cancer and finished my treatment and am afraid it will come back if I don’t take care of myself as doctor told. So it is my stress. How can I think about my stress to hold it in my mind?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Sickness ] [Suffering] [Fear] // [Happiness] [Gratitude]
Thanksgiving Retreat 2016, Session 1, Excerpt 2
Quote: “Don’t you say that so lightly–old age, sickness, and death.” — Ajahn Chah. Quoted by Jack Kornfield. [Ajahn Chah] [Sickness] [Ageing ] [Death] // [Health care]
Remembering Ajahn Chah Weekend (2001), Session 32, Excerpt 1
Related events: Death and Dying (2014)
“One of the books I have read suggests to practice the last moment of life every night. What would you suggest for practicing marananussati?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Recollection/Death ] // [Purpose/meaning]
Sutta: AN 10.48 Ten Reflections (Chanting book translation)
2015 Thanksgiving Monastic Retreat, Session 4, Excerpt 14
“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]
2014 Thanksgiving Monastic Retreat, Session 4, Excerpt 15
“Can you please say a little more about using the contemplation of death to gladden the mind?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Recollection/Death ] [Gladdening the mind] // [Purpose/meaning] [Heedfulness]
Thanksgiving Retreat 2016, Session 7, Excerpt 1
“What are your thoughts about maintaining a practice you’re at the bedside of someone actively passing away?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Sickness] [Death ] // [Listening] [Fear] [Personal presence] [Intuition]
Story: Ram Dass anxiously tries to guide his stepmother through the dying process. [Ram Dass] [Teaching Dhamma] [Restlessness and worry] [Mindfulness of mind] [Recollection/Death]
The Path of Practice (2019), Session 1, Excerpt 14
“Could you please explain about the death process…how quickly does rebirth occur?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Death ] [Rebirth] // [Recollection/Death] [Delusion] [Self-identity view] [Recollection] [Impermanence] [Not-self] [Theravāda] [History/Early Buddhism] [Sutta] [Vajrayāna] [Clinging] [Culture/Thailand] [Chanting] [Goodwill] [Relinquishment] [Ceremony/ritual] [Kamma]
References: Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 55: Five Recollections; Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 12: The body is impermanent... [Similes] [Craving]
Simile: Fire blown by the wind (MN 72: Aggivacchagotta Sutta)
Story: A former monk asks Ajahn Chah about working with dying people to give them the opportunity for wholesome rebirth. [Ajahn Chah] [Teachers] [Fierce/direct teaching]
Quote: “I practice dying.” — The Dalai Lama. [Dalai Lama]
Metta Retreat (2008), Session 1, Excerpt 3
“How does one know the difference between appropriate grieving and honoring the memory of a beloved versus clinging and attachment?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Grief ] [Clinging] // [Cause of Suffering] [Self-identity view] [Spiritual urgency]
Recollection: Grieving for Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Pasanno] [Recollection/Saṅgha]
Quote: “It’s that personalization of experience that gets us into trouble over and over again in different ways.” [Suffering]
Madison Insight Retreat 2023, Session 1, Excerpt 5
“I know parting with loved ones is a natural course of life, but deep sadness and grief arises when I reflect on that. Could you instruct on how to work with this grief? Is there a level of understanding when there is no grief? Thank you!” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Grief ] [Naturalness] // [Recollection] [Recollection/Death] [Impermanence] [Kamma] [Goodwill]
Sutta: AN 5.57 Five Recollections (Chanting Book translation)
Suttas: SN 47.13, SN 47.14: The deaths of Sariputta and Moggallana. [Buddha/Biography] [Great disciples] [Death]
Quote: “Now I’m an orphan.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Parents] [Wat Pah Pong] [Mae Chee]
2014 Thanksgiving Monastic Retreat, Session 3, Excerpt 8
“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?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [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]
Honoring the Buddha: The Mahāparinibbāna Sutta (2021), Excerpt 3
“The guidance through seeing the non-self in relationship to the elements was very helpful. Can you explain what to look for in order to see the non self in relationship to strong emotions like grief. When do you look for the emptiness in emotions and when do you experience or express them. How does one balance the two?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Not-self] [Elements] [Emotion ] [Grief ]
Ajahn Pasanno reflects on his feelings after Ajahn Chah died. [Ajahn Pasanno] [Ajahn Chah] [Death] [Sickness] [Gratitude] [Respect]
Ajahn Pasanno’s response to his father’s death. [Parents] [Spaciousness]