11. “She talks about making a story out of denying your defilements. Does the story of having fun denying your defilements come from that space of dwelling in that state of continuous mindfulness, or does continuous mindfulness come about from going through the suffering of forcing yourself not to enjoy anything?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Upasikā Kee Nanayon] [Unwholesome Roots] [Continuity of mindfulness] [Conditionality] // [Discernment]
Quote: “Relinquishment isn’t so much a giving up something that we have but enjoying the non-moving to get or trying to make.” [Relinquishment] [Cessation of Suffering] [Non-identification]
Simile: Learning to drive or walk. — Ajahn Kaccāna. [Similes]
[Session] Reading: “Attammayata,” The Island by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Amaro, pp. 113-124. Read by Ajahn Khantiko. [Non-identification]
1. Comment: I was thinking about our obsession to create things. We create our world out of the things that we create. So Nibbāna being no thing-ness seems just right. [Proliferation] [Nibbāna] [Non-identification]
Response by Ajahn Amaro. [Volitional formations] [Conventions] [Impermanence] [Philosophy] [Aggregates] [Insight meditation] [Suffering]
Quote: “The things of this world are merely conventions of our own making....” — Ajahn Chah in Convention and Liberation. [Ajahn Chah]
2. “This state of nothingness or no-thing-ness is kind of liberating. Is that something that can be quick or something we attain and is forever?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Non-identification] [Liberation] // [Insight meditation] [Long-term practice] [Arahant] [Ajahn Chah]
Reference: Nibbāna for Everyone by Ajahn Buddhadāsa.
1. Comment: I heard that often when Ajahn Buddhadāsa would ist receiving guests he might have a chicken under his arm. And if a mosquito landed on him, he would gently move the chicken towards the mosquito, and that way he wasn’t breaking the Vinaya. [Ajahn Buddhadāsa ] [Animal] [Killing]
Response by Ajahn Amaro: His presence was like sitting in front of a living mountain. [Personal presence]
Story: Ajahn Amaro’s visit to Suan Mokh in 1998. [Wat Suan Mokkh] [Ajahn Amaro] [Ajahn Paññānanda] [Non-identification] [Teaching Dhamma] [Ajahn Santikaro]
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]