Part of key topic Fruits of the Practice
1. “What are the options for practicing with getting older, getting weaker, physically and mentally less resilient?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ageing ] // [Relinquishment] [Death] [Not-self]
Discussion of the natural environment at Chithurst and Amaravati. Led by Ajahn Cittapālā and Ajahn Pasanno. [Culture/Natural environment] [Chithurst] [Amaravati] [Weather]
6. “How do you find it best to differentiate between true insights and insight defilements?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Cittapālā. [Insight meditation ] [Defilements of insight] // [Tranquility] [Relinquishment] [Simplicity]
Quote: “A really true insight—you don’t get anything from.” — Ajahn Pasanno. [Relinquishment]
7. “Can you offer any reflections about people’s tendency to measure samādhi, concentration, and jhāna and their doubt and discontent about how much is enough to develop insight?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Calming meditation] [Concentration] [Jhāna] [Insight meditation] // [Craving] [Relinquishment] [Etymology] [Translation] [Right Mindfulness] [Right Effort]
Quote: “Samādhi is a holiday for the heart.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Ajahn Sumedho]
Simile: Samādhi is like a chicken in a bamboo coop. [Similes] [Spaciousness] [Mindfulness]
Sutta: MN 44.12: The bases of samādhi.
Simile: Unification of mind is like a bowl of fruit. [Unification]
3. “Could you speak about the practice of being mindful of craving and allowing it to pass?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Unskillful qualities] [Mindfulness] [Craving] [Cessation] // [Hindrances] [Relinquishment] [Recollection/Dhamma] [Faith] [Memory]
Quote: “If we don’t understand the obstacle, we can’t be free from it.” [Discernment] [Liberation]
Quote: “You’ve got to be really careful because the mind is a liar and a cheat.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Nature of mind] [Heedfulness]
14. “Sometimes we hear that with practice, some qualities change, but other qualities don’t change very much over a long time of practice. When I read certain biographies [of Buddhist teachers], it seems like certain rough qualities can remain even though the mind is pure. How to know the difference in oneself and others?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Long-term practice] [Personality ] [Teachers] [Fierce/direct teaching] [Unskillful qualities] // [Suffering] [Unwholesome Roots] [Relinquishment] [Hindrances]
Ajahn Pasanno describes the personality of great teachers he has met. [Ajahn Mahā Boowa] [Ajahn Thate] [Ajahn Dune] [Ajahn Chah]
Reflection: The arahant disciples of the Buddha were able to free their minds, but they all had different personalities. [Arahant] [Buddha] [Great disciples ]
Sutta: SN 14.15 Caṅkama Sutta: Monks with different personalities gather around the great disciples.
Note: Ajahn Pasanno mentions the similarly-themed Cūḷagosiṅga Sutta (MN 31) by name, but describes the content of the Caṅkama Sutta.
1. “What does letting go feel like?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Relinquishment] // [Clinging] [Happiness]
2. “Is renunciation like surrender?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Renunciation] [Relinquishment]
Quote: “You let go a little, you get a little peace. You let go a lot, and you get a lot peace. Let go completely, and you get complete peace.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Relinquishment] [Tranquility]
3. “Can renunciation be practiced in three aspects: material, speech and mind?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Renunciation] [Relinquishment] // [Right Speech]
4. “Luang Por Chah’s teaching, “Not go forward, not go backward, not stand still;” is this like empty?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Emptiness] // [Relinquishment]
4. “How do you deal with the fear of renunciation and sacrifice that you do on the path of practice? Giving things up that are familiar and comfortable, or even that you know are uncomfortable, but there’s still that dukkha around it. Or after you’ve given up, the mind can proliferate on these subjects a lot. What has your experience been like?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Cunda. [Renunciation] [Fear] [Suffering] [Proliferation] // [Self-identity view] [Cessation of Suffering] [Relinquishment] [Discernment] [Happiness] [Monastic life]
Quote: “Everything I’ve ever let go of has claw marks on it.” — David Foster Wallace. Quoted by Ajahn Pasanno. [Relinquishment] [Clinging]
Story: Just sweep the leaves in front of your broom. Told by Ajahn Cunda. [Wat Pah Nanachat] [Present moment awareness] [Similes]
Story: A young child struggles to give Ajahn Sumedho a candy on almsround. Told by Ajahn Karuṇadhammo. [Generosity] [Almsround] [Ajahn Sumedho]
6. Simile: Long-term Dhamma practice is like walking to New York City from California. — Ajahn Pesalo. [Long-term practice] [Patience] [Determination] [Similes] // [Middle Path] [Meditation] [Relinquishment] [Faith] [Recollection/Virtue]
Reflection: Abhayagiri is a wonderful place to practice. [Gratitude]
Simile: A good family. [Saṅgha]
1. Reflection from Ajahn Chah about rich people: “They may have money, but they don’t know what’s enough.” Related by Ajahn Pasanno. [Ajahn Chah] [Commerce/economics] [Greed] // [Wat Pah Pong] [Relinquishment] [Happiness] [Contentment]
2. Reflection by Ajahn Pasanno: The cause of dukkha is ever seeking fresh delight, now here, now there, even in the spiritual search (SN 56.11.5; Amaravati Chanting Book Volume 2, p. 4). [Cause of Suffering] [Spiritual search] // [Greed] [Relinquishment] [Contentment]