Dhammagiri Buddhist Podcasts

By Dhammagiri Forest HermitageReligion & Spirituality Buddhism

Dhammagiri Buddhist Podcasts episodes

August 19, 2021 We're All Connected | Dhamma Talk by Ajahn Dhammasiha
Ajahn Dhammasiha offers some reflections on the theme that all beings are much closer connected than we're usually aware of:
As the circle of birth & death ('Saṃsāra') has been going on for such a long time, we all had millions and billions of past lifes. The Buddha teaches us that consequently we have been in a close relationship to virtually all beings in some past life. He explains that it's difficult to meet a single being that has not been our mother, father, child, sipling, or spouse in some past life.
2) We're also collected physically. We breath the same air, which we also share with animals and plants. As all the failed attemtps at containing the pandemic have shown, we're even connected by the very germs and virusus we share, which seems to still happen even with the most drastic attempts of keeping us all 'seperate' with social distancing, quarantine and closed borders.By recognizing this close connectedness, we undermine the delusion of an autonomous, individual 'Self' ('Attā'), that can exist independent of conditions just on it's own.
Once we recognize this close connectedness, we find it easy to develop empathy, kindness and compassion for all beings.www.dhammagiri.org.auwww.facebook.com/dhammagiri-forest-hermitagewww.youtube.com/channel/UCJINt0JJBfFm_x0FZcU9QJwwww.tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archive
18 min
August 17, 2021 Dhamma is a Raft to Carry us to the Further Shore | Ajahn Dhammasiha
The teachings of the Buddha ('Dhamma') are not an end in themselves. They all serve one purpose: To carry us accross the ocean of Saṃsāra (Circle of Birth & Death) to the secure further shore of Nibbāna.Consequently, we're failing the purpose if we study Dhamma, but do not apply it in our life and meditation. The Dhamma should be used like a raft. It is a tool to help us to escape from suffering. Just building a perfect raft, or arguing who has the better raft, will not give us any benefit. We have to use the raft, launch it into the water, and make an effort to paddle across to the safe shore.The simile of the raft can be found in Majjima Nikāya/Middle Length Discourses, #22 'Alagaddūpama Sutta'/'Simile of the Snake'.www.dhammagiri.org.auwww.facebook.com/dhammagiri-forest-hermitagewww.youtube.com/channel/UCJINt0JJBfFm_x0FZcU9QJwwww.tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archive.
20 min
August 13, 2021 There's More to Life than just being Alive - Lockdown Anxiety about 1st Precept
Ajahn Dhammasiha is asked about lockdown-anxiety regarding the first Buddhist precept, namely to abstain from killing any living beings. Are we breaking the first precept if we inadvertently infect someone else with corona virus, and then that person might die?
Ajahn points out that INTENTION is a necessary factor to break the precept against killing. If we have no intention to infect anyone, and we are not even acting negligently or carelessly in our interactions, we can not possibly break the first precept or create bad karma, even if we unknowingly, inadvertently happened to cause an infection.
Moreover, Ajahn reminds us that it is part of being human, part of having a human body, to be potentially infectious to others. There are countless small beings living inside and on our body: Bacteria, germs, viruses, yeast, fungi, and all kinds of parasites. Just the bacteria in our guts can weigh more than one kilo. In fact, we need them to live. They are required for proper digestion.
If we were to kill all bacteria and other tiny organisms in our body, we would end up dying ourselves. Human beings can not be aseptic. Only a robot or a plastic doll could be made aseptic. Human beings are shedding pathogens all the time, that can not be completely prevented ever. The question is simply to find the right balance between reducing danger of infection, and still being able to live a human life.
There is more to life than just being alive. Human life entails interaction with other human beings. That's another thing which is quintessentially human, and as long as we remain human, interaction with others can never be completely prevented. And interaction between humans will involve some sharing of germs by necessity. Again, the question is simply how to reduce potentially dangerous transmission, but without losing our humanity in the process.
In the beginning, Ajahn quotes Dhammapada Verse 112:
Even if one were to live a hundred years,
Lazy, indolent, indifferent;
It'a preferable to live a single day,
With genuine effort in one's spiritual practise.
Yo ca vassasataṃ jīve
Kussīto hīnaviriyo;
Ekāhaṃ jīvitaṃ seyyo,
Viriyam-ārabhato daḷhaṃ.
Here he Buddha clearly expresses that live is not just about quantity, but quality is more imortant. And the highest, most important quality to make life truly worth living is striving in one's meditation, putting forth effort to overcome greed, hatred and delusion, and to develop kindness, compassion and letting go.
Trying to maximise the length of our life by sacrificing our ability to practise our religion would thus be a very bad idea.www.dhammagiri.org.auwww.facebook.com/dhammagiri-forest-hermitagewww.youtube.com/channel/UCJINt0JJBfFm_x0FZcU9QJwwww.tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archive
40 min
August 11, 2021 Blessing, Anumodana and Sharing Merits at Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage | Buddhist Pali Chanting
Every day at mealtime, after the almsoffering, the monks at Dhammagiri chant a Buddhist Blessing. The recitation is in Pali, the language spoken by the Buddha himself, as recorded in the oldest part of the Pali Canon.
With the blessing, Ajahn Dhammasīha, Ajahn Moneyyo and Ven Buddhisāro express their 'anumodana' ('rejoicing') with the offerings of food and requisites they have received. They recite the traditional verses of sharing the good karma of the donors with departed relatives. Several verses are recited expressing the beneficial, wholesome results of good actions like generosity, kindness, faith and devotion, which lead to a good rebirth, and will bring us happiness for a long, long time.
Additionally, the monks include the 'Bojjhanga-Paritta' for dispelling all sickness and disease; and the short version of 'Āṭānāṭiya-Paritta' invocing the last seven Buddha's to defeat any negative influence from malevolent spirits or demons.
Finally, they express their blessings to everyone and wish them to be safe, protected by Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha, and by all 'devas' ('angels'/'deities'), so that eveyone can enjoy good health, strength, long life, prosperity, success and happiness!
Below is an English translation of the first part of the chanting, and of the very last verses at the end (translating everything would be too lengthy):
As all the water in the streams
is flowing to the boundless sea,
Just likewise all your offerings
are flowing to the spirit world.
And all you wish for and desire
shall soon and safely be attained;
May wholesome wishes be fulfilled
just like the moon at full-moon night,
just like a jewel sparkling bright.
May all distress come to an end,
may all desease be quickly healed,
May all your problems be resolved,
may you live long and happily.
When someone's always honouring
the elders worthy of respect,
Then they will grow in these four things
long life, strength, beauty, happiness.
.Those who give others life and strength
and beauty and intelligence,
Who wisely give for happiness,
receive great happiness themselves.
Those who have given life and strength,
and beauty and intelligence;
They will enjoy long life and fame
wherever they will be reborn.
May you be blessed in every way,
all angels shall protect you well;
And by the Buddha's/Dhamma's/Sangha's mighty power
may you be safe forevermore.
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9 min
August 10, 2021 HOW we Live our Life is more important than How LONG | Ajahn Dhammasiha
Ajahn Dhammasiha quotes Dhammapada Verse #110, where the Buddha makes it very clear that the length of our life is not the most important thing. Instead, the most important thing is the quality of our life.What truly gives quality to our life is spiritual practice: Not to harm either ourselves or others, and to develop a calm, unified mind, bright and free from defilements.Ajahn expresses his concern that in the current pandemic, our whole society is focussed exclusively on not getting infected/not dying from coronavirus. But the vast majority of those dying in the last 18 months still died of other conditions. Why focussing only on one cause of death out of so many?We have to find the right balance between reducing infections, and being able to live our life. There's more to life than just being alive. Human interaction, being able to bury our parents, to be close to dying loved ones, to celebrate weddings, to meet friends and elderly relatives and so on is part of being human, and so is the freedom to practise our religion. If we protect our life from infection, but at the same time lose our humanity, what do we protect then?Even if one were to live a hundred years, Unvirtuous, unethical, with scattered mind; It'a preferable to live a single day, But virtuous, with concentrated mind. Yo ca vassasataṃ jīve Dussīlo asamāhito; Ekāhaṃ jīvitaṃ seyyo, Sīlavantassa jhāyino. Dhammapada Verse No110www.dhammagiri.org.auwww.facebook.com/dhammagiri-forest-hermitagewww.youtube.com/channel/UCJINt0JJBfFm_x0FZcU9QJwwww.tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archive.
29 min
August 05, 2021 Keeping the Heart Bright and Happy, Even in Lockdown | Ajahn Dhammasiha
Even if we're not able to visit Dhammagiri due to lockdown, we always can recollect our generous actions done in the past. This 'Cāgānussati' was actually recommended by the Buddha as one of the main meditation objects for the laity. If we remember and rejoice in our past good actions, the mind will be bright and joyful, quite similar to the happiness we experience when we're actually doing it in the first place.
Likewise, we can rejoice in the good actions of others that we have witnessed in the past, even if we're currently not able to physically join up with our friends. We develop symathetic joy ('Muditā') for all the puñña and sacrifice we have seen our Dhamma friends doing previously.
Finally, the lockdown is an opportunity to turn our mind inside. Mindfully observing the feelings, emotions and thoughts in our heart, and making an effort ('Sammā-vāyāma') to abandon the unwholesome ones, and to develop the wholesome ones, is even more puññna (good karma) than practising generosity by offering material objects.
However, it's important when turning the mind inside, not to latch onto negative emotions, regrets and old traumas. Instead, we focus our attention on whatever good states we can find, or generate, like loving kindness or recollection of the Buddha. Once we focus exclusively on the bright, wholesome states, they will grow and ultimately fill our mind with such radience that any dark corners are fuly illuminated, and the whole mind is bright and radiant: Samādhi.
The mind experiencing samādhi wil not be scared, confined or limited by any external lockdowns, but has found an endless source of happiness inside.www.dhammagiri.org.auwww.facebook.com/dhammagiri-forest-hermitagewww.youtube.com/channel/UCJINt0JJBfFm_x0FZcU9QJwwww.tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archive.
38 min
August 05, 2021 SUTTA EXPLORATION: Solitude Necessary to Understand One's Mind | Ajahn Dhammasiha
Ajahn Dhammasiha reads out and comments on a short sutta from Anguttara Nikāya/Numerical Discourses of the Buddha, Book of Sixes #68.In this teaching, the Buddha points out the necessity of solitude in order to be able to understand one's own mind. We have to find delight in solitude, rather than searching for happiness exclusively through socialising and hanging out with others. Once we can be happy with ourselves in seclusion, we will be able to comprehend the characteristics of our mind. Once we understand our own mind, we can purify right view, develop samādhi, and aboandon all fetters.Of course, 'delight in solitude' includes seclusion from mobile phones and all other gedgets, computers and screens - really alone with only one's own body and mind. Once we get into it, it actually can be really delightful.www.dhammagiri.org.auwww.facebook.com/dhammagiri-forest-hermitagewww.youtube.com/channel/UCJINt0JJBfFm_x0FZcU9QJwwww.tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archive
26 min
August 04, 2021 Meditate Like You're Training for a Gold Medal | Ajahn Dhammasiha
Ajahn Dhammasiha points out the incredible dedication and sacrifice required to win an Olympic medal. In order to win, or even just to make it to the Olympics at all, athletes regularly train beyond the pain threshold, design their whole life around their training requirements, eat special food, and endure excruciating hardship.
But when we compare the true, longterm benefit anyone receives from an olympic medal, with the benefit from Dhamma practice, we have to admit that advanced Dhamma practice is of far greater benefit to oneself and others. Even with all the joy and fame an olympic medal can provide, it can't match up with ending old age, death and all suffering, which only the Dhamma can bring us.
Why, then, are we not practising meditation with the same dedication olympic athletes are practising their sport?www.dhammagiri.org.auwww.facebook.com/dhammagiri-forest-hermitagewww.youtube.com/channel/UCJINt0JJBfFm_x0FZcU9QJwwww.tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archive.
17 min
August 03, 2021 AJAHN MONEYYO | Mindfulness of Breathing Part 4: Breath and Seeing the Dhamma
This is the final part in a series of four talks on 'Mindfulness of Breathing' ('Ānāpāṇasati'), conducted by Ajahn Moneyyo at Dhammagiri Forest Hermitage.Ānāpāṇasati was the favourite meditation object of the Buddha himself. It can be cultivated both for samatha/samādhi and for insight/vipassana. The Buddha has given us highly detailed instructions how to develp mindfulness of the breath. The most extensive one is found at Anapanasati-Sutta, Middle Length Discourses Nr. 118:https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/MN/MN118.htmlIn this talk Ajahn Moneyyo explains the instructions of cultivating the breath to develop insight into impermanence and letting go:Training yourself to contemplate impermanence while breathing in and outTraining yourself to contemplate dispassion/fading away while breathing in and outTraining yourself to contemplate cessation while breathing in and outTraining yourself to contemplate relinquishment while breathing in and outwww.dhammagiri.org.auwww.facebook.com/dhammagiri-forest-hermitagewww.youtube.com/channel/UCJINt0JJBfFm_x0FZcU9QJwwww.tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archive
29 min
July 29, 2021 Craving = Suffering; Letting Go = End of Suffering | Ajahn Dhammasiha
We dont need to know a lot in order to understand Dhamma. It's not like studying for a PhD. No need for eleborate, sophisticated intellectual proliferation. We only have to understand one thing very deeply:Craving inevitably results in Suffering.When we let go of craving, suffering will come to an end.That's all we have to comprehend, by carefully observing craving ('taṇhā') in our heart, and mindfully watching how it causes suffering ('dukkha'). Once that causal relationship is clearly seem and understood, the heart will let go of craving and experince the end of suffering.Almost every Buddhist has heard of the Four Noble Truths. But many are not aware of the duties the Buddha has attached to each of them:Suffering is to be comprehended.Craving is to be abandoned.The end of suffering, Nibbāna, is to be realized.The Noble Eightfold Path leading to the end of suffering is to be developedAjahn Dhammasiha reminds us to focus on these duties when working with the 4 Noble Truths, to receive the full benefits intended for that contemplation.www.dhammagiri.org.auwww.facebook.com/dhammagiri-forest-hermitagewww.youtube.com/channel/UCJINt0JJBfFm_x0FZcU9QJwwww.tinyletter.com/dhammagiri/archive.
31 min