Advaita Vedanta
Spiritual traditions / Hinduism / Advaita Vedanta 
5 excerpts, 46:24 total duration

Interreligious Retreat-Seminar on Dhamma and Non-duality, Session 4 – Nov. 26, 2023

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1. “What is the translation of sabbaṃ dukkhaṃ? The way you translate it seems psychological. In Sanskrit, dukkhaṃ means out of the cosmic flow of Dhamma. But perhaps dukkhaṃ is best left untranslated. If untranslated, does dukkhaṃ mean the same thing in Buddhism and Advaita Vedanta?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Suffering] [Pāli] [Equanimity] [Dhamma] [Translation] [Advaita Vedanta] // [Thai] [Human] [Aggregates] [Clinging ] [Knowing itself] [Relinquishment]

Ancient etymology of dukkha: du = bad, unwanted, unpleasant, uncomfotable, not easy; kha = where the axle fits into the wheel. [Language] [History/Indian Buddhism]

Sutta: SN 56.11: Dhammacakkappavattanasutta (Chanting Book translation)

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Teaching: The four forms of clinging. [Clinging ] [Sensual desire] [Impermanence] [Naturalness] [Happiness] [Neutral feeling] [Attachment to precepts and practices] [Views] [Doctrine-of-self clinging] [Not-self]

Quote: “Nibbāna is the reality of non-grasping.” — Ajahn Chah. [Nibbāna] [Cessation of Suffering]


Readings from The Island, Session 8 – Jan. 18, 2025

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2. “I understand that the Dhamma is beyond duality. But does the distinction between conditioned and unconditioned support duality?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Dhamma] [Advaita Vedanta] [Unconditioned] // [Language] [Conventions] [Non-identification]

Reference: Richard Gombrich, ‘Metaphor, Allegory, Satire,’ in How Buddhism Began: The Conditioned Genesis of the Early Teachings, pp 86-87, quoted in The Island by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro, p. 118.

Sutta: SN 1.25: “Skilful, knowing the world’s parlance, he uses such terms as mere expressions.”

Follow-up: “The usage of symbols sometimes helps as well....” [Symbolism]

Quote: “All similes and anologies are partial.” [Knowing itself]


Readings from The Island, Session 10 – Jan. 20, 2025

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1. “Ajahn Geoff often says that non-duality is not part of the Buddha’s teachings because it refers to unity rather than complete trancendance. In your experience, do most teachings on non-duality refer to an allness or something more compatible with the Buddha’s teachings?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Ajahn Ṭhānissaro] [Right View] [Unconditioned] [Advaita Vedanta] // [Equanimity] [Non-identification] [Knowing itself] [Language] [Culture/West] [Culture/India]

Sutta: MN 137.17: Equanimity based on diversity, etc.

Sutta: MN 1.25: They are attached to the All.

Quote: “One of my pet peeves is when people say, ‘I really love non-duality.’” — Eric McCord.


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3. “When Luang Por Sumedho talks about resting in awareness in which everything is included, is this connected to the subject part [of non-duality] or is this neither there nor in between (Ud 1.10)?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Ajahn Sumedho] [Knowing itself] [Non-identification] [Equanimity] [Advaita Vedanta] // [Buddhist identity] [Not-self] [Language] [Ajahn Chah] [Wat Pah Nanachat] [Unestablished consciousness] [Brahma gods]

Recollection: When Ajahn Amaro first arrived at Wat Pah Nanachat, a monk recommended Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind. [Ajahn Amaro] [Zen]


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4. “My perception of Theravāda is that it’s a lot about striving but then Advaita Vedanta and Luang Por Sumedho talk about acceptance of what is right now. It doesn’t have the same morality. How do you reconcile these two things?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Theravāda] [Right Effort] [Advaita Vedanta] [Ajahn Sumedho] [Virtue] // [Self-identity view] [Suffering] [Eightfold Path]