Buddhist Society of Western Australia

Have you ever gotten upset or angry when people don't appreciate all the kindness you've shown them? Ajahn Brahm explains how to keep giving without expecting or getting any reward.

Please support the BSWA in making teachings available for free online via Patreon.

Tuesday 2nd May 2017 was a special day for the Armadale Meditation Group.  We celebrated 30 years of meditation and guidance by the monks of Bodhinyana Monastery in Serpentine.  For this special occasion Ajahn Brahm and Venerable Akaliko graced us with their presence.  Ajahn Brahm likes to refer to the group as Club Med.  Being typically Aussie, we like that.  Venerable Akaliko once remarked that on his way to Club Med one evening [his first teaching at Armadale], he was considering a topic for his Dharma talk when he realised that there is "no fail in Armadale".

The group has adopted these slogans and now we have T-shirts that clearly state who we are and how we feel about meditation.

For the benefit of the five new people who joined us for our celebrations, Ajahn gave us a guided beginners meditation.  Ajahn used his wit, humour, common sense and stories to describe the purpose of meditation and why worrying about the future or reliving the past, is pointless.  We can't change the past and we can't control the future, so why do we worry so.  Give it a miss and meditate instead.

After meditation Ajahn gave a Dharma talk and joined us for our 30th Year celebrations.

Have you ever gotten upset or angry when people don't appreciate all the kindness you've shown them? Ajahn Brahm explains how to keep giving without expecting or getting any reward.

Please support the BSWA in making teachings available for free online via Patreon.

The Buddha talks about the whole spiritual path as an act of purification. Ajahn Brahmali offers an inspiring talk on purifying our mind of defilements, such as anger and ill-will because he says ‘one of the main problems on the spiritual path is the problem of anger.’

Ajahn offers ways to overcome anger so we can unblock the natural beauty of our mind. And he helps us to understand what purification actually means by sharing with us Buddhist similes and examples of people who have purified the mind.

Please support the BSWA in making teachings available for free online via Patreon.

The Buddha talks about the whole spiritual path as an act of purification. Ajahn Brahmali offers an inspiring talk on purifying our mind of defilements, such as anger and ill-will because he says ‘one of the main problems on the spiritual path is the problem of anger.’

Ajahn offers ways to overcome anger so we can unblock the natural beauty of our mind. And he helps us to understand what purification actually means by sharing with us Buddhist similes and examples of people who have purified the mind.

Please support the BSWA in making teachings available for free online via Patreon.

Ajahn Brahm’s opinion is sought on a proposal to limit religious vilification or a proposal against the freedom of speech. Ajahn Brahm offers a different perspective and instead of looking at how vilification occurs by our speech and how to speak properly, he looks at how we let vilification happen by listening in the wrong way. So Ajahn gives a teaching on how to listen with wisdom and compassion.

Please support the BSWA in making teachings available for free online via Patreon.

Ajahn Brahm’s opinion is sought on a proposal to limit religious vilification or a proposal against the freedom of speech. Ajahn Brahm offers a different perspective and instead of looking at how vilification occurs by our speech and how to speak properly, he looks at how we let vilification happen by listening in the wrong way. So Ajahn gives a teaching on how to listen with wisdom and compassion.

Please support the BSWA in making teachings available for free online via Patreon.

Ajahn Brahm starts off by talking about how to find happiness and joy in your meditation. The instructions according to one of Ajahn's favourite monks ‘Ajahn Ganhah’, are breath in "sabah", breath out "sabah" (meaning nice and easy).

Please support the BSWA in making teachings available for free online via Patreon.

Ajahn Cittapalo suggested we count, 1 to 10, or select and visualise our favourite colour to meditate.  Most of us focus on our breathing or bodies when we start or first learn to meditate.  So counting or visualising a colour makes for a welcome change of pace.  For beginners [and aren't we all] this is often a much easier way to start meditating.  Ajahn explains how to do it and what will happen to most of us when we count or visualise our favourite colour.Ajahn then gave us a very enlightened Dharma talk, so much so that the group lost track of time with no-one in a hurry to stop or go home.

Ajahn Brahm explains what this making merit business is all about and its essentiality not only for the path towards enlightenment but for a happy, peaceful life. Ajahn also describes how through the beautiful service of making merit you learn to love, care and laugh and create a beautiful pure mind.

Please support the BSWA in making teachings available for free online via Patreon.