Ajahn Dhammasiha encourages us to "be a good Santa".

A good Santa Claus will give all the gifts to the kids.

Similarly, our task as followers of the Sakyan Sage is to not hold back, but to give absolutely everything away.

Not literally giving away, but letting go of absolutely everything:

If we're a good Santa, we let go completely without holding back.

More about Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage:

https://www.dhammagiri.net/news

Our Youtube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJINt0JJBfFm_x0FZcU9QJw

Our email Newsletter:

https://tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archive

Our Podcasts on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHWfWEGkO8OAtSWNJlqyD

Our Podcasts on Apple/itunes:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dhammagiri-buddhist-podcasts/id1534539834

.

Mindfully observing impermanence ('anicca') of all conditioned

https://www.dhammagiri.net/podcast

More about Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage:

https://www.dhammagiri.net/news

Our Youtube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@dhammatalksatdhammagiri8724

Our email Newsletter:

https://tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archive

Our Podcasts on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHWfWEGkO8OAtSWNJlqyD

Our Podcasts on Apple/itunes:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dhammagiri-buddhist-podcasts/id1534539834

In this guided meditation, Ajahn Dhammasiha uses Santa Claus as a metaphor for the process of emptying the mind.

Santa's  job is to give gifts to all the kids for Christmas. He's working very  hard to fulfill this task, travelling on his sleigh carrying a very big  and heavy sack with all the presents. Similarly, our mind is carrying  around the heavy load of all kinds of different emotions, feelings,  moods, worries, desires, hopes, concerns, phantasies, images,  thoughts... and so on.

When  Santa takes the gifts out of his sack, his task is simply to give it  away to the kid that requested that particular gift. Whether the gift is  some beautiful doll, or some ugly monster, or some boring game, Santa  is not getting involved at all:

Whatever he finds in the sack, he just acknowledges it and then gives it  away to the kid it's meant for, without clinging or aversion to the  gifts.

Similarly,  whatever comes up in our mind, we just acknowledge it for what it is,  but don't get involved at all. We don't attach to the pleasant stuff,  we're not averse to the unpleasant mental objects, no liking, no  disliking, no holding on. It's not our's anyhow, so we just give it all  away, letting go, emptying our mind.

More about Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage:

https://www.dhammagiri.net/news

Our Youtube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJINt0JJBfFm_x0FZcU9QJw

Our email Newsletter:

https://tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archive

Our Podcasts on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHWfWEGkO8OAtSWNJlqyD

Our Podcasts on Apple/itunes:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dhammagiri-buddhist-podcasts/id1534539834

.

A family came to share merits with their father/grandfather, who they lost 3 months ago.

Ajahn Dhammasiha talks about the process of rebirth.

He explains how we can contemplate the impermanence of all conditioned phenomena, and develop insight to let go of attachment.

Our Podcast is also available on our own Dhammagiri Website, no need for any special app, just listen in any browser:

https://www.dhammagiri.net/podcast

More about Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage:

https://www.dhammagiri.net/news

Our Youtube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@dhammatalksatdhammagiri8724

Our email Newsletter:

https://tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archive

Our Podcasts on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHWfWEGkO8OAtSWNJlqyD

Our Podcasts on Apple/itunes:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dhammagiri-buddhist-podcasts/id1534539834

Is there a way to overcome the negative consequences of bad karma we may have committed in the past, even in previous lifes?

Is karma related to causality?

Do I make much bad karma by having angry thoughts?

Ajahn Dhammasiha responds to these and related questions.

Our Podcast is also on our own Dhammagiri Website, no need for any special app, just listen in any browser:

https://www.dhammagiri.net/podcast

More about Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage:

https://www.dhammagiri.net/news

Our Youtube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@dhammatalksatdhammagiri8724

Our email Newsletter:

https://tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archive

Our Podcasts on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHWfWEGkO8OAtSWNJlqyD

Our Podcasts on Apple/itunes:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dhammagiri-buddhist-podcasts/id1534539834

.

Ajahn Dhammasiha is asked: "What's the process to develop Jhāna?"

He explains that it's not so much a particular technique or method that will lead to the attainment of jhāna (full 'absorption' samādhi/'concentration' ), but that we have to gradually weaken the 5 hindrances (5 Nīvaraṇā):

If these 5 hindrances are very strong, whatever technique or method we're using in our formal meditation, we will not be able to unify the mind in jhāna/samādhi.

We have to work continuously, in daily live as well as in formal meditation sessions, to gradually file away and weaken these 5 hindrances. Once they are overcome, the mind will unify in jhāna/samādhi quite naturally, because we experience gladness (pāmojja).

Experiencing gladness, we will feel rapture (pīti)

Feeling rapture, our physical body will be completey calm, relaxed and tranquil (passaddhi).

With tranquil body, we will experience bliss.

The blissful mind unifies in jhāna/samādhi.

There are also another two questions Ajahn responds to:

Our Podcast on our own Dhammagiri Website, no need for any special app, just listen in any browser:

https://www.dhammagiri.net/podcast

More about Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage:

https://www.dhammagiri.net/news

Our Youtube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@dhammatalksatdhammagiri8724

Our email Newsletter:

https://tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archive

Our Podcasts on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHWfWEGkO8OAtSWNJlqyD

Our Podcasts on Apple/itunes:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dhammagiri-buddhist-podcasts/id1534539834

.

Ajahn Dhammasiha responds to a question of a retreatant at Dhammagiri: How can we stop worrying about the future when we try to settle our mind in meditation?

Ajahn describes several approaches and reflections we can apply to weaken the hold such thoughts have on our mind.

Our Podcast on our own Dhammagiri Website, no need for any special app, just listen in any browser:

https://www.dhammagiri.net/podcast

More about Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage:

https://www.dhammagiri.net/news

Our Youtube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@dhammatalksatdhammagiri8724

Our email Newsletter:

https://tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archive

Our Podcasts on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHWfWEGkO8OAtSWNJlqyD

Our Podcasts on Apple/itunes:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dhammagiri-buddhist-podcasts/id1534539834

.

Ajahn Dhammasiha provides a simile for the process of rebirth: Intercontinental Air Travel.

When we travel to a distant, exotic country, before we take off at the airport, we better make sure that we have all the essentials with us:

Similar, for the journey to the next life, which we all will have to travel one day, we better check we've got the following four:

Our Podcast on our own Dhammagiri Website, no need for any special app, just listen in any browser:

https://www.dhammagiri.net/podcast

More about Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage:

https://www.dhammagiri.net/news

Our Youtube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@dhammatalksatdhammagiri8724

Our email Newsletter:

https://tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archive

Our Podcasts on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHWfWEGkO8OAtSWNJlqyD

Our Podcasts on Apple/itunes:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dhammagiri-buddhist-podcasts/id1534539834

.

At our Robe Offering Ceremony at Dhammagiri, our Sangha of 7 Buddhist monks recites 'Paritta'. These auspicious protective verses are believed to ward off misfortune, protect from various dangers, and bestow blessings on all those listening.

Paritta verses have been recited in Pali, the language of the Buddha, for more than 2,000 years. The most important ones are still in their original form, as originally spoken by the Buddha himself some 2,500 years ago.

Ajahn Saengchai Ratananyano from Bodhisaddha Monastery, Wilton near Sydney, is leading the chanting.

Ajahn Den Atthakaro from Bodhipala monastery near Adelaide recites the traditional invitation to all devas and spirits at the beginning.

Ajahn Varadhammo from Bodhisaddha Monastery, Ajahn Dhammasiha & Ajahn Moneyyo from Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage, and Tan Khema & Tan Dhammavitakko from Buddha Bodhivana Monastery, Warburton near Melbourne, are all joining in.

Our Podcast on our own Dhammagiri Website, no need for any special app, just listen in any browser:

https://www.dhammagiri.net/podcast

More about Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage:

https://www.dhammagiri.net/news

Our Youtube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@dhammatalksatdhammagiri8724

Our email Newsletter:

https://tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archive

Our Podcasts on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/show/0SHWfWEGkO8OAtSWNJlqyD

Our Podcasts on Apple/itunes:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dhammagiri-buddhist-podcasts/id1534539834

.

Ajahn Varadhammo is the abbot of Bodhisaddha Monastery, Wilton near Sydney. He has kindly accepted our invitation to our robe offering ceremony in the Kathina month here at Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage.

Ajahn Varadhammo is a disciple of Tan Ajahn Anan of Wat Marp Jan, Thailand. He has trained with Tan Ajahn Anan for more than 10 years, until he was invited to lead the establishment of Bodhisaddha monastery. Even now, he keeps in close contact with his teacher, visiting him regularly, and often providing English translations for Tan Ajahn Anan during his live casts on Zoom.

However, although he has done a lot of interpreting from Thai to English, there are not yet that many teachings of Ajahn Varadhammo himself available yet. Therefore, we are very happy that he agreed to provide the main Dhamma talk for our robe offering ceremony.

Ajahn encourages us to to rejoice ('anumodanā') in the countless acts of goodness that are necessary to bring sangha and lay supporters together, and conduct such a major event joyfully and in concord.

The website of Bodhisaddha, Ajahn Varadhammo's home monastery:

www.bodhisaddha.org

The website of Ajahn Varadhammo's teacher, Tan Ajahn Anan/Wat Marp Jan:

www.watmarpjan.org/en/

Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage website:

www.dhammagiri.net

Our Youtube Channel

.