11. “Once I aspired to open my mind beyond this conditioned world. Now I mostly try to be at ease with my limitations. Am I mistargeting something important?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Stages of awakening] [Unconditioned] [Contentment] // [Idealism] [Four Noble Truths]
15. “‘There is no-self in the created or the un-created’...Does this statement conceal an asymmetry? Surely we investigate the created to separate from it – But can we investigate the uncreated? And if so, is it not to identify with it?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Not-self] [Unconditioned] [Self-identity view]
4. “‘Luminous is the mind.’ Is the luminous mind conditioned or unconditioned? If unconditioned, then it’s Nirvana. If conditioned/impermanent, then Nirvana is beyond the mind? Yet it can be known by the mind?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Nature of mind] [Unconditioned] [Nibbāna]
Sutta: AN 1.49
4. “Could you talk more about the two levels of understanding the true nature of karma: mundane and transcendent?” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Kamma] [Conventions] [Unconditioned] // [Right View ] [Four Noble Truths] [Impermanence] [Conditionality]
Quote: “Outside of cause, beyond effect; outside of suffering, beyond happiness.” — Ajahn Chah. [Ajahn Chah] [Unconditioned]
7. “As I get deeper insights how conditioned the mind is, there is a sense of burden being released but also a doubt began to arise: If the mind is conditioned, how is it even possible to arrive at the Unconditioned? Does free will even exist or am I just pushed around by kilesas? If the trick is to recognize that there is no free will, how can I sincerely believe that when I’m making choices to practice and do wholesome deeds, they really matter and it’s not my delusion? Please dispel my doubts!” Answered by Ajahn Pasanno. [Nature of mind ] [Doubt] [Unconditioned] [Delusion] // [Four Noble Truths] [Self-identity view] [Questions] [Conditionality]
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]
2. “Dependent co-origination is referred to as Dhamma. The unoriginated and unconditioned is also Dhamma. Could you explain?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Dependent origination] [Dhamma] [Unconditioned] // [Cessation] [Conventions]
Sutta: MN 28.22: One who sees Dependent Origination sees the Dhamma.
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.
2. “If the Unconditioned is above distinctions of right and wrong, how do you reconcile this with the fact that we live in a moralistic society? If you are not enlightened, how do you live with the truth of the Unconditioned?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro and Ajahn Pasanno. [Unconditioned] [Virtue] // [Conventions] [Dhamma] [Vinaya] [Buddha] [Ven. Ananda Maitreya] [Clinging] [Suffering] [Recollection/Buddha]
Reference: “Still, Flowing Water” in Collected Teachings of Ajahn Chah, p. 373.
Reference: Time & Timelessness.
Reference: T. S. Elliot, The Dry Salvages.
Vinaya: Mahāvagga 1: The story of the Buddha’s enlightenment.
Reference: Amaravati Chanting Book, p. 4: Recollection of the Buddha: vijjācaraṇa-sampanno.
5. “Is there any other language that can describe things correctly? For example, mathematics or physics?” Answered by Ajahn Amaro. [Language] [Unconditioned ] [Science] // [Suchness]
Sutta: Ud 3.10: “Whatever you conceive it to be, it is ever other than that.”
Reference: “Suchness and the Square Root of Minus One,” Happily Ever After by Ajahn Amaro, p. 507.