Abhayagiri Talks

As the world and our lives are swiftly passing, Ajahn Karuṇadhammo offers a reflection on the nature of aging and the final stages of life. He explores several themes, some personal, some from popular literature, as well weaving together Dhamma teachings on the five khandas and non-clinging. This talk was offered on October 12, 2015 at Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery.

Following an afternoon reflecting on Jhāna, Ajahn Pasanno offers guidance and advice for developing meditation. He encourages us to use attention and encouragement to uplift the mind onto the meditation object and to use appropriate reflection and investigation as a guide. This talk was offered on October 10, 2015 at Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery.

Beginning with the meaning of the word jhāna, Ajahn Pasanno explains jhāna as a fundamental clarity and stillness that the mind can experience. The Paṇcālacaṇḍana Sutta (SN 2:7) describes it as opening amidst confinement. In response to questions, Ajahn Pasanno clarifies the difference between mindfulness and concentration. This talk was offered on the October 10, 2015 Upasika Day, “Jhāna – A Practical Approach” at Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery.

Freedom from the Five Hindrances is a prerequisite for jhāna. Ajahn Karuṇadhammo emphasizes experiencing the affective nature of a hindrance in the body rather than proliferating about the object of the hindrance in the mind. He presents the canonical similes for the hindrances in terms of water (SN 46.55) and undesirable conditions (MN 39) and leads a guided meditation on abandoning the hindrances. Questions about pain, multiple hindrances, and obsessive thinking follow the meditation. This guided meditation was offered on the October 10, 2015 Upasika Day, “Jhāna – A Practical Approach” at Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery.

Beginning with passages about jhāna from the Pali Canon, Ajahn Pasanno answers a series of salient questions about jhāna. He goes on to read a passage from the Mahasaccaka Sutta (MN 36) in which the Boddhisatta reflects upon his spontaneous experience of jhāna as a child and the canonical similes for the four jhānas (MN 39). Ajahn Pasanno concludes by reading a selection from Ajahn Chah's talk “Detachment Within Activity” as a guided meditation (p. 296 in The Collected Teachings of Ajahn Chah). This question and answer session occurred on the October 10, 2015 Upasika Day, “Jhāna – A Practical Approach” at Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery. Download File

Continuing from the previous recording, Ajahn Pasanno continues to answer practical questions about the details of jhāna. This question and answer session occurred on the October 10, 2015 Upasika Day, “Jhāna – A Practical Approach” at Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery. Download File

Reflecting on two aspects of Ajahn Pasanno's Saturday talk, Ajahn Jotipālo discusses the sequential nature of the Seven Enlightenment Factors and Ajahn Puṇṇadhammo's guided meditation based on the Shorter Discourse on Emptiness (MN 121). This talk was offered on October 5, 2015 at Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery. Download File

Ajahn Pasanno reflects on the five spiritual faculties – faith, effort, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom – beyond the standard definitions of each. He encourages us to explore each one on a deeper and more personal level, as tools to cease clinging to the things that bring us suffering. This talk was offered on October 3, 2015 at Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery. Download File

“Contentment and Gratitude” was the theme of the 2015 Buddhist Bicycle Pilgrimage, and Ajahn Pasanno reflects upon these themes the evening after receiving the cyclists. This talk was offered on September 27, 2015 at Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery. Download File

From the perspective of Dhamma, Ajahn Pasanno tells us, life offers us a choice between an existence of agitation and confusion or one of wisdom and peace. The former arises from wanting things to be how we'd like them; the latter is founded on a deep understanding of the way things actually are. This talk was offered on September 26, 2015 at Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery. Download File