Dhammagiri Buddhist Podcasts

In response to a question about the supernatural psychic powers and unique knowledge of the Buddha, Ajahn Dhammasiha examines a passage from 'Mahā Sīhanāda Sutta' ('The Greater Discourse on the Lion's Roar'), Majjhima Nikāya / Middle Length Discourses No 12.

In this passage on the 'Tathāgata Bala' , the Buddha himself describes 10 powers he is endowed with, and 4 unshakeabilities.

You can read and download the whole sutta in English here:

https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/MN/MN12.html

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#buddha #buddhism #sutta #sutra #suttaexploration #palicanon #majjhimanikaya

With the visit of Bhante Ariyananda coming up, Ajahn Dhammasiha reminds us all:

When it comes to listening to Dhamma, it's not about quantity of input. It's about quality, and in particular about the quality of the mind of the listener.

Many of us have heard the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (First Discourse of Buddha) receited many times. But did we have the vision of Dhamma arising, did we attain stream entry like Ven. Aññā Kondañña did while listening to it only once?

All the listening and reading and studying will not lead to awakening if the mind is not ready.

We have to reduce the hindrances/defilements (nīvaraṇā), and increase the spiritual faculties (indriya), to boost our pāramī up to a level sufficient that we can realize the Dhamma we hear of contemplate.

Like a 3G phone will not be able to connec to 5G signals, we won't be able to comprehend the Dhamma on a deep level if the foundations are still too week.

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#dhammatalk #listening #spriritualteacher #buddhism #dhamma #buddhistmonk

Ajahn Nyanadipo is the abbot of Bodhipala monastery, the Ajahn Chah monastery near Adelaide.

https://www.bodhipalamonastery.org

He has recently passed the formal Thai examinations to qualify as an upajjhāya (preceptor who can ordain monks), being only the second foreign monks to do so.

Ajahn shares inspiring stories of his monastic life, in particular meeting senior monks of our tradition and attending the Ajahn Chah commemoration at Wat Nong Pah Pong.

Ajahn also talks about the large stupa project that he's overseeing: the construction of the 'Subhadda Cetiya', a 15 meter high stupa dedicated to Ajahn Chah, at Bodhipala monastery.

Ajahn has visited Dhammagiri before, for instance in March 2021 he joined us for Magha Puja, when he gave the following Dhamma Talk

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#dhammatalk #buddhistmonk #stupa #ajahnchah #buddhiststory #buddhistwisdom #buddhism

After our guided mettā meditation, Ajahn Dhammasiha shares some strategies how to overcome typical difficulties in our development of Loving Kindness, and to deepen our meditation.

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#metta #lovingkindness #meditation #buddhistmeditation #empathy #compassion

Ajahn Dhammasiha praises participants of our One Day Meditation Retreat for their commitment to virtue and unshakable ethical principles. By committing ourselves, without any if or when, to non-violence; to commit ourselves to abstain in all possible circumstance from any act of killing, we're making a powerful statement against war, and remove ourselves from any participation in war and violence.

By developing bhāvanā to weaken and ultimately abandon greed, hatred and delusion, we work on removing the deep causes of any forms of war and violence.

Ajahn shares several stories of persons who decided not to kill/not to shoot in very challenging situations, some of them possibly even saving the world from global nuclear war through their courageous decisions. These heros of not-killing and non-violence are unfortunately much less famous and much less appreciated than "heros" who receive the Victoria Cross and similar medals of "bravery" for killing. Often their steadfastness in obeying their conscience goes completely unnoticed, or worse, it may even lead to them being denigrated and attacked.

Similar for those who dare to state the truth in challenging circumstances. Stating a simple truth, though it is disagreeable to those in power, can be a truly heroic act with far-reaching consequences. It may break the spell of false narratives and propaganda, and be of great long term benefit to many beings, even though the truth tellers may be attacked, or may even end up sacrificing their life for their act of truthfulness.

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#nonviolence #precepts #notkilling #commitment #ethics #buddhism #compassion

Ajahn Moneyyo discusses the very first Sutta in Suttanipāta: "The Snake" / "Uragasutta".

Snakes regularly have to shed their old skin, as it becomes too restrictive for their growing body. In the wilderness, one can sometimes find this old, worn out skin, left behind by the snake. The Buddha uses this process as a simile for a monk who abandons anger, desire and delusion, leaving all mental defilements behind, just like the snake leaves behind it's old skin. Naturally, abandoning defilements is no easy task, just as he snake has to struggle quite a bit to wriggle out of the old skin. But it is possible, it can be done.

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#suttanipata #uragasutta #snake #serpant #buddhism

Ajahn Dhammasiha was asked via email to talk about bringing peace to ourselves regarding Iran, Israel and US war, and all the other evil and insanity we witness being committed globally.

As Brisbane just witnessed a total lunar eclipse ('Blood Moon') on Magha Puja Full Moon day, Ajahn shares the ancient Indian myth how Rāhu the evil demon swallows the moon deity Chandimā during an eclipse. In his distress, Chandimā remembers the Buddha and takes refuge in him. The Buddha chants a verse to Rāhu requesting him to release Chandimā, and Rāhu indeed lets go of the moon.

Although this myth totally contradicts our astronomical understanding how an eclipse works, Ajahn Dhammasiha declares himself a true believer in its truth: meaning his is convinced of the metaphorical truth of the matter, not the literal meaning 😉

• The moon is a simile for our heart
• The moon being swallowed by Rāhu is an allegory for our heart becoming dark due to sadness, anger or despair
• Taking refuge in the Buddha, and remembering that the Buddha's complete release from all oppression can be experienced by ourselves, frees our heart from darkness and unwholesome states

Ajahn encourages us to remember the symbolism of the lunar eclipse whenever we notice our heart going dark. If we remember the Buddha and take refuge in him, the forces of evil will not be able to darken our heart.

This is the most important thing. We may not be able to stop the evil happening externally, in the extreme we may even get killed ourselves by evil. However, as long as evil can't take over our own heart, we've still won the most essential battle.

This doesn't mean that we have to be completely passive regarding evil. It only means that we do not commit evil ourselves in opposing it. We oppose evil only by means that are not violent, keeping the Buddhist precepts, and most importantly, based on compassion, kindness, truth and equanimity, never baswed on anger or hatred.

To do that, we have to first make sure that anger, hatred, delusion or fear are not influencing our heart.

We also have to keep in mind that it is utterly impossible to turn this human world into a perfect place without evil. It is part of the first noble truth that we live in a world with war and atrocities. However, if we free our own heart from evil, we will experience a devine world without evil in our next rebirth.

And if we free our hear from any trace of greed, hatred & delusion, we will experience the state of total release, Nibbāna, where no trace of evil can ever reach.

You can listen to a recording we did of Dhammagiri monks chanting the Moon Protection (Canda Paritta) during the total lunar eclipse for Veask Full Moon 2021 here:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/canda-paritta-moon-protection-recitation-at-lunar-eclipse/id1534539834?i=1000523371067

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#evil #war #darkness #release #freedom #deliverence #lunareclipse #bloodmoon #chandaparitta

At our Pa Ba Ceremony of Offering Forest Cloth on Magha Puja Full Moon, Ajahn Dhammasiha gives a Dhamma Talk about the Ovādapātimokkha:

Abstain from any evil deed

accomplish what is good and true,

And fully purify your mind -

That is what all the Buddhas teach.

Enduring patience is the best

of all ascetic practices;

The best of everything at all

is called Nibbāna by the sage.

If you cause harm to anyone

you can't be called a genuine monk!

Refrain from harming and abuse,

and strictly keep the Buddha's rules;

Be moderate when taking food,

and dwell alone in solitude

devoted to the Higher Mind -

That is what all the Buddhas teach.

The Buddha recited this concise summary of the whole practice leading to Nibbāna on the full moon of Magha, at the 'Sāvaka-sannipāta', the spontaneous gathering of 1,250 Arahant Bhikkhus, all of them ordained by the Buddha himself.

Ajahn Dhammasiha also explains that the Veluvana (Bamboo Grove Monastery), the location of Magha Puja, was the first monastery ever offered to the Buddha. King Bimbisāra of the Kingdom of Magadha offered a park to the sangha, located outside the gates of his capital Rajagah. The Buddha accepted it and declared that the monks are now allowed to accept property the to be owned by the sangha communally (but not by individual monks).

However, the monks continued to live in the open and under trees even in the newly offered monastery.

The billionaire banker of Rajagaha saw the monks still living in the open, and asked the Buddha for permission to erect buildings for them. The Buddha granted permission, and from then on numerous structures were erected and offered to the sangha.

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#buddhism #buddha #buddhistmonastery #rajagaha #rajgir #maghapuja #ovadapatimokkha

Abstain from any evil deed

accomplish what is good and true,

And fully purify your mind -

That is what all the Buddhas teach.

Enduring patience is the best

of all ascetic practices;

The best of everything at all

is called Nibbāna by the sage.

If you cause harm to anyone

you can't be called a genuine monk!

Refrain from harming and abuse,

and strictly keep the Buddha's rules;

Be moderate when taking food,

and dwell alone in solitude

devoted to the Higher Mind -

That is what all the Buddhas teach.

The Buddha recited this concise summary of the whole practice leading to Nibbāna on the full moon of Magha, at the 'Sāvaka-sannipāta', the spontaneous gathering of 1,250 Arahant Bhikkhus, all of them ordained by the Buddha himself.

Ajahn Dhammasiha introduces us to the location of the event, the Bamboo Grove Monastery ('Veḷuvana') at Rājagaha, and goes through the Ovādapātimokkha line by line

(By the way, it's actually 14 lines of verse in the Pāli. When Ajahn Dhammasiha talks about 16 lines, he was thinking about the English translation, which has two lines more. It can be difficult to express meaning in English as succinct as in Pali, often one requires more words in modern languages to get the meaning accross)

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#buddhism #buddha #arahants #magha #maghapuja #ovadapatimokkha

Chanting starts at 0.32 min.

The sangha of Dhammagiri Buddhist Monastery recites auspicious paritta for Vietnamese/Chinese New Year of the Firehorse.

• Ajahn Moneyyo leads the chanting
• Tan Adicco recites the formal invitation to all devas & spirits
• Ajahn Dhammasiha joins the chanting as well.

Spotify sometimes classifies our chanting podcasts as 'music' and then deletes them, as pure music tracks are not allowed on their podcast platform. To prevent that from happening, we have included a spoken intro, and some explanations about horse similes at the end, by Ajahn Dhammasiha.

Being born in the year of the firehorse himself, Ajahn Dhammasiha enjoyed sharing quotes mentioning horses at the event, including his own translations.

Read the horse quotes here:

https://www.dhammagiri.net/post/horse-similes-in-pali-canon

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#paritta #palichanting #buddhistchanting #chinesenewyear #firehorse2026 #firehorse #lunarnewyear #buddhism #dhamma