Abhayagiri Talks

Ajahn Amaro offers reflections on how we can maintain our spiritual values in the midst of political turmoil. This talk was offered on June 8, 2016 at Yoga Mendocino in Ukiah, California.

Ajahn Amaro responds to questions about holding opinions, projecting our stories onto others, and information overload. He then discusses how to make good choices based on the Buddha's teaching on the useful qualities of a well-rounded person. This question and answer session was offered on June 8, 2016 at Yoga Mendocino in Ukiah, California.

Anagarika Armand is ordained as Samanera Suddhiko by preceptor Ajahn Pasanno, who explains the chants (which are omitted) and the meanings of each step of the ceremony. He emphasizes to the new sāmaṇera that the importance of monastic rules is to understand one's own mind, and reflects on the holy life as a way of cultivating gracefulness. This ceremony was performed on June 5, 2016 at Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery.

Sāmaṇeras Kondañño and Jāgaro are ordained as Bhikkhus by preceptor Ajahn Pasanno, who explains the chants (which are omitted) and the meanings of each step of the ceremony. He offers the new bhikkhus reflections on the nature of the commitment they have made as a path of virtue, integrity, and simplicity and points out that the choice of dependence over independence, while going against the grain of society, will offer them a taste of something far richer. This ceremony was performed on June 5, 2016 at Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery.

Ajahn Dtun offers parting words of gratitude and encouragement to the Abhayagiri monastic and lay community. This blessing was offered on May 29, 2016 at Abhayagiri Monastery and was translated by Ajahn Tejapañño.

In this detailed teaching Ajahn Dtun offers a stage by stage description of the process of moving from deluded attachment to the body into a state of pure knowing. This talk was offered on May 28, 2016 at Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery and was translated by Ajahn Tejapañño.

Ajahn Dtun responds to questions regarding the warrior spirit, an arahant's tears, advice for social people in retreat, becoming weary of the world, fighting the defilements, the five kinds of mara, the pleasure of attachment, repaying your parents' debt, and others. This question and answer session was offered after the meal on May 27, 2016 at Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery and was translated by Ajahn Tejapañño. We might clean up the audio and split it into Thai and English tracks in the future.

In his final question and answer session of the visit Ajahn Dtun responds to questions regarding seeing nimittas, the correlation of body contemplations with the first three levels of attainment, vipassana technique, dreams, metta instructions, a typical day at his monastery, working with food, and others. This question and answer session was offered at tea time on May 27, 2016 at Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery and was translated by Ajahn Tejapañño. We might clean up the audio and split it into Thai and English tracks in the future.

Ajahn Dtun responds to questions regarding mindfulness while traveling, aversion to unskillful politicians, the results of generosity, the value of living with an arahant, urgency and death contemplation, keeping the first precept under extenuating circumstances, and the relationship between samatha and vipassana meditation. This question and answer session was offered after the meal on May 25, 2016 at Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery and was translated by Ajahn Tejapañño. We might clean up the audio and split it into Thai and English tracks in the future.

Ajahn Dtun responds to questions regarding helping an elderly family member of a different faith, using tranquility practice as an escape, the importance of mastering the jhanas, how to create a practice schedule, working with physical pain in meditation, the nature of mind after attainment, and others. This question and answer session was offered at tea time on May 25, 2016 at Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery and was translated by Ajahn Tejapañño. We might clean up the audio and split it into Thai and English tracks in the future.