Dhammagiri Buddhist Podcasts

In this Guided Meditation, Ajahn Dhammasiha leads us to contemplate the forth foundation of mindfulness (4th Satipaṭṭhāna) in breath meditation (ānāpāṇasati):

Very important:

Instead, we contemplate the impermanence, fading away and cessation of all the thoughts, images, memories, phantasies, worries, desires and aversions that constantly arise in our mind and distract us from the breath. Even if we can't let go of them yet, let's just imagine how they are fading away.

After the bell, it not quite over yet, as Ajahn adds some comments on using the same contemplations we used with the breath for our walking meditation.

More about Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage:

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Ajahn Dhammasiha responds to a question:

"Is renunciation or non-attachment the better practice?"

Ajahn explains that both terms are often used largely synonymous, and that therefore it's not so much a question of 'either-or'. Both practices are concerned with 'letting go'.

But it's also possible to understand these two terms with different nuances of meaning.

On the one hand, one can 'renounce' something, even if one still has attachment to it. For example, someone may observe 8 precepts and not eat in the evening. He is 'renouncing' the evening meal for that day. However, he may still be attached to eating in the evening. It takes deliberate effort and determination to 'renounce' the evening meal, even though one would enjoy it, even though one is still attached to it.

The term 'non-attachment', on the other hand, usually implies that desire, craving and clinging to the evening meal are really gone. It doesn't require any effort anymore to 'renounce' it, as the attachment is no longer there.

Usually it's easier to develop real non-attachment by first renouncing. E.g. monks and nuns give up all their money before they ordain. But there may still be attachment, which even after giving it all up physically, takes a much longer time to truly overcome.

It's more difficult to cultivate non-attachment to things we can't fully 'renounce'. Like for example food, or our physical bodies. Without food we couldn't live, we have to take food while we practice, we can't 'renounce' all food. Instead, we have to cultivate non-attachment while we're still taking food every day. This is much more difficult, and there's a danger that we may delude ourselves into thinking we're not attached, even though we're actually are.

How deeply we're attached, we often only notice once we can't get the object of our attachment any more. Whenever possible, it's best to practice both, renunciation and non-attachment, together at the same time. First giving it away, or not indulging in it any more, and at the same time using wisdom to gradually abandon any remaining attachments.

More about Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage:

https://www.dhammagiri.net

Our Youtube Channel:

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

Our email Newsletter:

https://tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archive

Our Podcasts on Spotify:

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Our Podcasts on Apple/itunes:

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It's good to remind ourselves regularly of the final purpose of all our Dhamma practice. Whether it's offering dana, or keeping precepts, developing sense restraint, or watching the breath in formal meditation - in the end all of this should lead to letting go.

It's outright impossible to fix all problems in the external world, all issues with our own bodies, and all our relationships and interactions with other beings perfectly. Even if we do our best to make this world a better place, there will still be wars and conflict and sickness and death, as it has always been. The only real 'fix' is simply letting go of it all. Once the heart lets go completely of all conditioned phenomena, it will experience final release and permanent freedom from dukkha, independent from any external conditions. 

Ajahn Dhammasiha also anwers a related question: Why is the mind jumping away from the meditation object, and how can we overcome this tendency.

More about Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage:

https://www.dhammagiri.net

Our Youtube Channel:

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

Our email Newsletter:

https://tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archive

Our Podcasts on Spotify:

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Our Podcasts on Apple/itunes:

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🔸️Intro (Ajahn Dhammasiha, MC)

🔸️Requesting Triple Refuge & 5 Precepts (Dr Mallik & Vijitha)

🔸️Taking Refuge in Buddha, Dhamma & Sangha  (Conducted by Ajahn Dta Candavaṃso)

🔸️Committing to the 5 Precepts (Conducted by Ajahn Dta Candavaṃso)

🔸️Recitation of Paṃsukūla Sangha-dāna (Dr Mallik & Vijitha)

🔸️Offering of Robes & Forest Cloth to Sangha (All Sangha & Laity)

🔸️Sangha silently contemplates Paṃsukūla Robes (Sangha)

🔸️Recitation of "Kāle dadanti sappaññā..." - Offerings at Auspicious Occasion (Sangha)

🔸️Apalokana Sangha Kamma - Formal Decision of the Sangha to share Sangha Offerings for individual use (Ajahn Khantiko)

🔸️Anumodanā (Rejoicing) & Blessing (Sangha led by Luang Por Kalyano)

This year Ven Ajahn Kalyano and four other senior monks have kindly  accepted our invitation to join us for the ceremony, giving us a Sangha  of eight Bhikkhus: 

🔶 Luang Por Kalyano & Ajahn Dta Candavaṃso from Buddha  Bodhivana Monastery, Warburton near Melbourne. 

🔶 Ajahn Saeang and Ajahn Varadhammo from Bodhisaddha Monastery,  Wilton near Sydney 

🔶 Ajahn Khantiko from Wat Doi Mongkonsathan Hermitage in Chiang Mai  province

🔶️ Our own resident monks Ajahn Dhammasiha, Ajahn Moneyyo & Tan Niddaro 

On the day of the ceremony we had a severe wether event, with torrential  rains, storms, flooding, and the government issuing a warning to do  only 'essential' travel. One of the two main roads to Dhammagiri was  already flooded and impassable.  Amazingly, some 150 people still came out to join, and they all  thoroughly enjoyed it. With their hearts focussed on making good karma  through generostiy, observing precepts, and listening to Dhamma, they  didn't mind some physical discomfort from inclement weather. Even though  the sky was grey 🌧 and raining, our hearts where sunny 🌞, bright, and  joyful throughout the event 😊

We all received a beautiful teaching that out true happiness does not  depend on external conditions, but on the quality of our heart. A heart  filled with goodness and good karma is happy inside, even in adverse  external conditions.

Please note ceremony above is not a formal Kathina, but an offering of 'Forest Cloth' (Pali: Pamsukūla) (Thai: Pah Bah), as conducted if less than 5 monks have spent the rains retreat at the monastery.

More about Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage:

https://www.dhammagiri.net

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

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Our Robe Offering Ceremony took place amidst torrential downpours, severe weather warnings and major flooding. Defying floods and storms, some 150 Dhamma practitioners still came out to Dhammagiri, determined not to miss this special opportunity for making merit, and to listen to teachings from our visiting senior monk Luang Por Kalyano.

Listening to the rain pouring down, and the frogs croaking, Luang Por takes up the theme of dealing with difficulties and problems. He encourages us to apply Dhamma to the challenges we continuously face in daily life.

He shares some fascinating stories of even worse flooding he had to cope with as a youg monk, when he stayed with Ajahn Piak at Wat Fa Kram, Lamlukka near Bangkok. The monks had to wade through deep water on their daily almsround, and occasionally would be completely submerged in water when stepping into the wrong spot. One day even a cobra was floating by close to where they washed their bowls. However, the monks could manage, as they used the difficult external conditions as a training to apply the principles of Dhamma in dealing with them.

When we take up and maintain the precepts, develop faith in the Tirple Gem, and purify our heart through generating puñña (good karma), we will find that Dhamma starts to permeate our life. The more Dhamma becomes part of our daily life, the more resilience our mind develops to face any difficulties. We apply wisdom (paññā) in dealing with every challenging situation, and reflect on the impermanence of all conditioned phenomena. Through seeing with wisdom we can let go of anger, irritation & frustation, and dwell with a calm and peaceful mind even amidst adversity.

• The formal 'Invitation to Teach Dhamma' ("Brahmā ca Lokādhipatī Sahampatī...) that you hear in the beginning, right before Luang Por's talk, has been recited very beautifully by Aoy. 

• You can watch the whole event, including Luang Por Kalyano's Dhamma Talk, Paritta chanting by our sangha of eight monks, observance of Triple Refuge and 5 Precepts, and the formal offering of forest cloth, on our Youtube Channel here:
  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJINt0JJBfFm_x0FZcU9QJw

• Photos of Luang Por Kalyano and our Robe Offering Ceremony are available here:
  https://www.dhammagiri.net/copy-of-images-of-dhammagiri

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#buddhism #dhammatalk #vipassana #insight #robeoffering

At our Robe Offering Ceremony at Dhammagiri, Ajahn Saeng leads our Sangha of eight monks in the recitation of Paritta.

Paritta are teachings of the Buddha with particular auspicious or protective content, which are chanted by the Buddhist monks at special occasions.

The 8 monks chanting are, in order of seniority:

1. Luang Por Kalyano, abbot of Buddha Bodhivana Monastery, Warburton near Melbourne
   
2. Ajahn Saeng, Bodhisaddha Monastery, Wilton near Sydney
   
3. Ajahn Dhammasiha, abbot of Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage, Brisbane
   
4. Ajahn Dta Candavaṃso, Wat Nong Pah Pong, Ubon, Thailand / Buddha Bodhivana Monastery
   
5. Ajahn Varadhammo, abbot of Bodhisaddha Monastery, Wilton near Sydney
   
6. Ajahn Khantiko, Wat Doi Mongkonsathan Hermitage, Chiang Mai
   
7. Ajahn Moneyyo, Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage
   
8. Tan Niddaro, Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage / Amaravati Buddhist Monastery 

Sequence of Chants

Minutes:Seconds of recording, and page numbers of Amaravati Chanting Book, Volume 2:

• 00:01 Requesting Paritta Chanting (Dr Mallik) p125 (this is the only one in Volume 1)
  
• 00:31 Invitation to Devas, Spirits, Angels, Ajahn Varadhammo, p32
  
• 00:55 'Namo tassa...' (Homage to the Buddha) p33
  
• 02:39 Going for Refuge p33
  
• 03:37 'Yo cakkhumā...' p34
  
• 06:16 'Namo arahato...' p35
  
• 07:32 Mangala Sutta (Highest Blessings) p38
  
• 10:49 Mora Paritta (Protetion of the Peacock) p45
  
• 12:50 Ratana Sutta  (The Jewels - Shortened Version) p36
  
• 15:58 Mettā Sutta (Discourse on Loving Kindness - End Only)  p41
  
• 16:58 Khandha Paritta (Snake Protection - 2nd Half Only) p43
  
• 17:43 Āṭānāṭiya Paritta, 'Vipassissa nam'atthu...' (Demon Protection - Introductory Verses Only) p47
  
• 19:26 Abhaya Paritta 'Yan-dunnimittaṃ...' (Fear/Anxiety Protection) p46
  
• 20:32 Qualities of Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha 'Iti pi so Bhagavā...' p44
  
• 22:19 Jaya Mangala, 'Bahuṃ sahassam...' (Verses of Victory) p50
  
• 26:11 Devatā Uyyojana, 'Dukkhappattā...' (Sharing with Devas/Angels)p51
  
• 27:17 Jaya Paritta, 'Mahā Kāruṇiko...' (Victory Protection) p52
  
• 28:55 'Bhavatu sabba-mangalaṃ...', Concluding Blessing p53
  

You can view or download the Amaravati Chanting Books Volume 2 and Volume 1 for free here:

• Volume 2: https://cdn.amaravati.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/30/Chanting-Book-Vol-2-Web.pdf
  
• Volume 1: https://cdn.amaravati.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/30/Chanting-Book-Vol-1-Web.pdf
  

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#chanting #buddhistchanting #palichanting #paritta #pirith

There are 7 conditions to make the teaching of the Buddha last a long time. At the same time, they support our own individual meditative development:

As we have our first big event with visiting senior monks after a long time coming up, Ajahn Dhammasiha touches on the first six conditions only lightly. He focuses mostly on the last quality, Hospitality:

More about Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage:

https://www.dhammagiri.net/news

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

https://tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archive

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

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

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On the last full moon of the rains retreat (vassa) we're chanting the 2nd formal teaching of the Buddha, the Anatta-lakkhaṇa Sutta (Discourse on the Not-Self Characteristic), led by Ajahn Moneyyo, in the original Pali language.

This is a stereo recording, and you can get  quite an immersive experience if you switch on 'surround sound' / '3D'  on you loudspeakers, or use good around-the-ears headphones 🔊👂😊👂🔊

While listening to this discourse, the hearts of the first five disciples of the Buddha (Pañca-vaggiya) were totally released from all defilements as they realized Nibbāna.

Evaṃ me sutaṃ.

Rūpaṃ bhikkhave anattā,

Yasmā ca kho bhikkhave rūpaṃ anattā,

Vedanā... Saññā... Sankhārā... Viññāṇaṃ anattā (...)

Taṃ kiṃ maññatha bhikkhave,

Taṃ kiṃ maññatha bhikkhave,

Tasmā tiha bhikkhave:

Yā kāci Vedanā... Saññā... Sankhārā... Viññāṇaṃ...

Evaṃ passaṃ bhikkhave

Idam-avoca bhagavā.

The text of the whole Sutta, encluding English translation, is available for free viewing or download in the Amaravati Chanting Book, Vol 2, page 15:

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On occasion of Pavāraṇā Full Moon, Ajahn Dhammasiha talks about the meaning and purpose of the 'Invitation Ceremony' ('pavāraṇā') the monks have to do at the end of the rains retreat.   

All members of the sangha that have spent the retreat together invite each other for admonishment in case that any unsuitable behaviour has been seen, heard or suspected by their fellow monks. Although normally nothing is brought up at the ceremony itself, as any real issues are better sorted out beforehand, the ritual still serves as a powerful reminder that we should always welcome and constructive criticism.   

The faculty of delusion hides our own mistakes from ourselves, we just can't see them objectively. Feedback from well meaning, wise friends is an excellent way to counter that delusion and correct oneself.   

Ajahn also talks more generally about delusion, the conditioned nature of our views & opinions, and skillfull means to escape the 'catch 22' situation when dealing with delusion:

More about Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage:

https://www.dhammagiri.net

Our Youtube Channel:

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

Our email Newsletter:

https://tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archive

Our Podcasts on Spotify:

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Our Podcasts on Apple/itunes:

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Ajahn Dhammasiha talks about Luang Por Kalyano's 60th birthday, and shares that he's really looking forward to having a senior monk visiting that he can bow to. 

Contrary to attitudes common nowadays, having something to respect, and to express that in an external gesture, is actually very uplifting for our mind.  

A member in the audience asks if bowing is still of benefit if one doesn't really feel anything, but is just following external convention?  

In his response, Ajahn explains that we can get stuck in 'Sīlabbata-parāmāsa', the third of the ten fetters ('saṃyojana'), if we perform rituals perfuctory, in a superficial way without understanding. However, if we use the external form to develop the corresponding internal attitude and emotions, then rituals can be a strong support for our mental cultivation ('bhāvanā').  

Conceit ('māna') and it's relationship to bowing and the delusion of self is also touched upon in the discussion.

More about Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage:

https://www.dhammagiri.net/news

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

https://tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archive

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

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

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