Buddhist Society of Western Australia

Ajahn Brahm examines the place of love, lust, desire and affection in Buddhism. Ajahn asks; Is love an attachment? Is love something beautiful? Is love going to get you into trouble? What actually is the place of love in Buddhism? What is spiritual about your love in a relationship? Ajahn also looks at how you can make use of your understanding of the love you feel in a marriage or relationship.

Venerable Nitho recounted his youth to us to show how trying too hard [craving] is counter productive to letting go and that this will make it more difficult to meditate.  Just as Venerable tried to hard to catch an elusive blue butterfly, we often try too hard too clear our minds to meditate.  We need to let go and just let it happen.

Tonight's meditation was focused on our bodies.  Starting at the feet, working upward.  Relaxing each area of the body helps immensely to clear the mind, shut out external distractions and simply relax.

Venerable concluded with a brief Dharma talk and Q&A.

Venerable Hasapanna gives a talk about how to integrate the Buddhist teachings into our practise and daily life. How to live the Dhamma; live the teachings. Venerable emphasises the importance of developing right understanding and wisdom to help us deal with the ups and downs, twists and turns and difficulties in life or the eight worldly conditions: praise and blame, gain and loss, happiness and unhappiness, honour and dishonour.

 

Ajahn Brahm begins by talking about what stops you from getting peaceful in meditation and seeing things clearly. Ajahn says the first two of the biggest obstacles or hindrances to meditation are wanting and ill-will/ aversion.

Ajahn Brahm gives a humorous talk on bringing fun and laughter into our Buddhist practise and life, because he says too many people are far too serious. Ajahn talks about seeing the positive in everything and the huge benefits of being able to laugh at what for many people is extremely sad, such as having dementia. Ajahn points out the benefits of laughter, such as that it gives a positive mind and takes away fear and anxieties. Lastly Ajahn Brahm also mentions how we can laugh at and deal with anxiety.

Venerable Pannananda was one of the guest speakers at the Buddhist Society of Western Australia during the Rains Retreat or Vassa (the three month period between the full moon of July and October in 2010). Venerable Pannananda gives a short introduction on the five sense faculties of mind, five powers of the mind and the Seven Factors of Enlightenment.

When someone we love is suffering, why do we suffer as well? Does love have to mean that when someone is suffering we suffer as well? Ajahn Brahm talks about how Buddhists deal with the suffering of loved ones. In this talk Ajahn offers some skillful means of responses and teaches us how to have real love, instead of attachment.

Ajahn Brahm gives a quirky talk about coffins and their relevance to life not death. Ajahn teaches us how to accept our karma, the nature of life and face our fears, such as death and sickness. Ajahn talks about understanding them, learning from them and even accepting and loving them. Ajahn says “Loving doesn’t mean we like it, loving is opening the door of your heart to everything because this is life and we can always find a beautiful perception about anything.”

Ajahn Brahm reflects on the way to end conflict within yourself, between people and between you and your world. Ajahn tells us why we have so many conflicts and reveals how we can gain more peace and harmony.

Venerable JR spoke on just letting it be tonight.  Let the thoughts come and let them go, don't engage them, just let it be and be happy.  After a guided beginners meditation Venerable was happy to do a Q&A session.